


Mind Games

by rainbosaur



Category: Dark Wolverine (Comics), Moon Knight (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men Legacy
Genre: Blood and Violence, Bonding, Daddy Issues, Family, Family Bonding, Frenemies, Friendship, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:45:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 54,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbosaur/pseuds/rainbosaur
Summary: Daken Akihiro is up to something. David Haller decides to stop him.Things go awry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic so I hope I did it right. 
> 
> I've never met a Scottish person in real life so David's accent is based purely on what little I've heard and how he talked in the comics, so I apologize to all Scottish people if I got it wrong.
> 
> David is based heavily on the X-Men Legacy run by Simon Spurrier, though I did make some changes to how the Qortex Complex works.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

He had to be out there somewhere. He knew he was. “Come on, come on…” David’s inner self muttered, coaxing Tyrranix the Abominoid to merge further with his metaphysical body. Tyrranix squealed slightly before engulfing the rest of his arm, turning it a further sickly, Lovecraftian green. His other hand was placed firmly on the head of the Avian, his fingers one with the alter’s skull. His eyes were closed in deep concentration.

In the real world, outside the Qortex Complex, David was flying high over the large expanse of New York City, not an uncommon sight in this world, especially this _part_ of the world, although his hair - pitch black and standing at least a foot straight up in the air - might've garnered a bit of attention. He hoped to god no one would recognize him. They probably wouldn't, but if they did they'd most certainly question him, because if they knew him, it would be for one of two things: his father, and his absolute insanity.

His eyes glowed yellow as he concentrated all the power of Tyrranix the Abominoid on the citizens of New York. He knew there were a lot of psychopaths out there, but how hard could it be to find the mind of just one, especially one like this…

Daken took a seat at the bar and slicked back his loose mohawk, flashing a grin at the considerably attractive bartender. At that moment, he decided to issue himself a challenge; no pheromones. It was a fun little game he liked to play from time to time. Once their minds got a little whiff of his pheromones, their bodies quickly tended to follow. It was always so easy. Sometimes he needed a little spark to add to the fun of manipulation. No pheromones. By the end of the hour, he'd have this man wrapped around his little finger.

“ID?” The bartender requested. Daken smirked. At seventy-three he still looked like he could be under twenty-one. He passed his ID over. The age on it read twenty-four. It was a fake, of course, but an immaculate fake. The bartender inspected it for a few seconds before handing it back. “What can I get for you?” He asked.

“Surprise me.” Daken grinned. Alcohol had no effect on Daken due to his healing factor, but he liked drinking it anyway. It was always so...alluring. There was an art to drinking. A wholly unappreciated one, in his opinion. The bartender spent some time concocting his drink, almost making a spectacle of it, although he doubted this was for his personal benefit. This was a fairly high-end place, and it was early in the day, so it was pretty slow. This was likely just an attempt to get more tips. Still, Daken could appreciate the attention.

“Here you are.” The bartender presented the drink with a minor flourish. It was dark blue at the bottom, graduating into a lighter blue at the top, giving the impression that it was glowing. His enhanced sense of smell picked up on all the little ingredients in the drink; rum, pineapple, blue curacao...

“Doumo mo-temo-te kun.” He raised the glass to the bartender before taking a generous but delicate sip.

“Is that Japanese?” He asked.

Daken’s lopsided grin widened. They loved it when he was exotic, they always did. “It's my native language.” He said, taking another sip of his drink. “This is really good, by the way. I like your taste.”

“Thanks.” The bartender’s grin matched his. “You speak English really well.”

“I've lived here for a long time.” About fifty years, he figured. More like forty five on and off, though his time in English speaking countries wasn't the source of his fluency. They taught him to speak many languages in his training.

“I got the first part, ‘doumo’ means thank you, right?”

“That's correct.”

“What was the rest of it?”

Daken looked him square in the eye, “Something...flattering.” He took another sip of his drink. The bartender grinned back at him, his face turning slightly red. “What's your name?” Daken asked.

“Benjamin, Ben.”

He leaned over the counter, “Well, Ben, what time do you get off?” As Ben opened his mouth to answer, the door opened and in walked a young blonde women, confident and oh so very attractive. She walked up to the counter and took a seat two stools away from him.

“Well hello there.” Daken purred. This day was about to get a lot more interesting.

 _No it ain’t._ He heard the Scottish accent reverberate inside his head.

“Ah, fuck.” He muttered. There were only two telepaths that could breech his defenses, and only one that had an accent like that. He didn't even turn around as the door swung open and the troll-haired X-Men reject flew into the bar.

David stood behind the wannabe supervillian with his arms crossed, looking stern and collected. But secretly, his heart was pounding. At any moment, Daken could turn around, unsheath his claws, and stab him in the stomach. Somewhere in his head he had some little monster that could deflect it or phase through it, but he couldn't reach any of them at the moment, not without risking one of his ghoulies taking over. And he _really_ couldn't afford that right now. Sure, he was in Daken’s head, but Daken was trained to deal with mind readers, he could act without consciously thinking. David would have to rely on his god-like reputation. Act invulnerable and they'll think you're invulnerable. “Hello, Daken.” David greeted, trying to pull off a menacing monotone, at least partially succeeding.

Daken smirked, looking into his drink. “David,” he turned around in his seat to face him, “to what do I owe the pleasure?” Daken immediately started letting out a special concoction of what he called confusion pheromones; fear, trustworthiness, a hint of lust, although not too much, David was only seventeen, even Daken had his limits.

“To me, Stasis Sven," inner David commanded, reaching out his hand.

“You can quit that, that's not gonna have any effect on me,” David lied. He thought he could stand these pheromones. It was just scent, wasn't it? As long as he focused on his mind, but…

“Stasis Sven?” David asked, concerned.

He didn't expect it to affect his other personalities.

Inside David’s mind, his carefully constructed Qortex Complex was darkening, quivering, the monsters in his head were noisier than usual. A thin fog settled inside the Complex, a fog that quickly thickened, thickened until David could hardly see two feet in front of him. “Stasis Sven?” He called out in one last effort to stick to the plan. He saw the glowing red eyes a split second before Karlax jumped out from the fog. David narrowly dodged out of the way.

“Mmph,” David grunted, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You alright?” Daken asked, teasing.

“You know exactly what you're doing you bastard.” He growled with far more emotion than he intended. Daken laughed, and he felt a spike of emotion; intimidation, anger, fear. No, he couldn't let these things take over. It would only make his inner self weaker. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself. God, if only someone had actually bothered to take him to _traditional_ therapy…

Daken dialed back on the pheromones a little. If David got too out of control, if one of those rogue personalities were allowed to take over his body, there'd be a decent chance they could write Daken out of existence, or worse. David was weak, he'd have to be the one to stay in control.

“Look, you know what you did,” David said, gathering himself, “and you knew someone would come along sooner or later and try to stop you.”

“Is that what you're doing?” Daken asked. There was a familiar but quiet _snikt_ as Daken stood up and slowly unleashed his claws.

Inside his mind, the fog was clearing slightly, but David was still desperately running around, dodging his inner demons left and right. Out of the fog, he spotted one of his weaker rogue personalities. “Polimeter, here!” He called after her, quickly pouncing on her and sinking his hand in.

“Let's take this away from the civilians, why don't we.” David replied, putting a hand on Daken’s shoulder.

“Can I at least finish my drink?”

“N-" the world shifted around them and suddenly they were standing in a large field with plains of grass stretching as far as the eye can see, “-o.”

In the Qortex Complex, Polimeter scampered out of his grasp and scurried away, leaving David lying in the dark, panting, Tyrranix still wrapped tightly around his arm.

Daken sighed. A perfectly good night, ruined. Oh well, he knew they'd come after him eventually. After all, you can't take over an MGH cartel by killing all the members of the family without rustling a few bushes. Still, he didn't expect _him_ . No one would ever _send_ David after him, he'd have to have come of his own free will. He'd have to figure this out himself, but why…

Why go after Daken? David could tell he was wondering. Why on Earth would David go after Daken? He couldn't be that concerned about the New York drug trade, could he? Well it was true, he wasn't really keeping his ear to the ground in that regard. In truth, David had overheard his father talking to _Daken’s_ father. Daken's father was concerned about Daken’s activities, thought he might be planning something bigger, they decided they'd wait to see what he had in store and keep an eye on his actions in the meantime. David thought that was ridiculous. Classic X-Men, always _reacting_ instead of acting. So he decided he would take matters into his own hands. Trap Daken in a stasis field and deliver him to the X-Men or the Avengers or maybe the actual fucking authorities for once, to anyone who could stop him before he hurt anybody else.

Obviously he hadn't thought the plan through...

“So, what do we do now?” Daken asked, “Duel it out, brains versus brawn? I'm sure you can tell which is which.”

Hiding place, he had to get to a hiding place. There were plenty of nooks and crannies he could crawl into in this poor excuse for a brain. He scrambled along the edges, trying to find anyplace he could squeeze into where his alters wouldn't find him. Suddenly, his hand came into contact with a sponge-like wall. A desperate grin grew across his face. Now he knew where he was. There was a perfect hiding spot in here. He ran his hand along the wall until he found a slight crevice. He opened it up and began squeezing himself through to the little cave on the other side. He'd gotten about halfway in before he felt a sharp pain in his calf. His body froze.

“Agh!” David called out, suddenly flinching back.

“David?” Daken asked.

A bright light emanated around David like a halo and he began slowly floating up in the air, his eyes glowing a bright yellow-white. “Not anymore, my child.” He spoke in an American accent, his tone soothing and motherly.

Fuck. He may have gone too far with the pheromones. He’d underestimated how unstable David’s mind really was. He didn't know how powerful this personality was, he could be in serious danger, they could wipe him off the face of the earth with a snap of their fingers. Still, he kept his composure, and started releasing calm, soothing pheromones, hoping it would help David regain some control. “And who might you be?” He asked casually, with his claws by his side and at the ready.

“I am Mother Andrea.” He said, spreading his arms out to the side. “I am a mother to all the world's children.”

That didn't sound so bad. He could handle this one. “Well, hello Mother Andrea. I'm Daken, Daken Akihiro. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Oh I know who you are.” David spoke, his tone turning sour, his eyes narrowing. “I know all the children of the world, and as mother, it's my duty to punish the naughty.  And you have been oh so very naughty.” David put his hands out in front of him, and out of his palms shot a white hot beam of light. Daken skirted out of the way, the beam narrowly grazing his arm. He grimaced as the scalding pain exploded over his burning flesh, but it quickly began to heal over.

“Alright,” Daken grinned, cocking his head to the side, “let's do this.” He dashed towards David, claws fully extended.

Beams of light shot towards Daken as he nimbly dodged out of the way. One of them singed off his ear as he leapt into the air and dug his claws into David’s foot. David howled, and began floating diagonally down to the ground.

Daken couldn't kill David. He had no idea where he was, but it was obviously somewhere far from civilization. He needed to get out of here, but he couldn't teleport. David could. He'd have to subdue him, or whoever the hell had taken over his body. Then they could teleport out, somewhere near civilization, and he'd figure out what to do from there.

David aimed downwards, shooting a beam of light straight at Daken’s head. Daken quickly dislodged himself from David’s foot and deftly tumbled to the ground.

He'd need to knock him out, ideally with a swift blow to the head. Although, that might be difficult with him floating all over the fucking place. As much as he’d hate to admit any physical limitations, he couldn't jump that high, he'd need to bring him down to his level, weaken him.

David had flown backwards, putting a good distance between himself and Daken. He began to rapid fire, shooting continuous beams of light in his direction. Daken zigzagged randomly from side to side, dodging and ducking, slowly closing the gap between himself and David.

As he got closer, the beams intensified, shooting faster and getting larger. One took a chunk out of Daken’s side, but he ignored the pain. As soon as he got close enough, he slid to the ground, slipping underneath David and emerging on the other side. He leapt up in the air and trapped him with his claws, digging his inner claw into David’s abdomen while using his other set of claws to pin David’s arm to his side. David screamed and started writhing, but Daken held on tight. Burdened by Daken’s weight, he slowly started sinking to the ground. Daken grinned, triumphant, but that didn't last long.

David took his free arm and swung his hand over his shoulder, nailing Daken in the head with a beam of light, immediately disintegrating a large chunk of his head. Daken’s grip loosened, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Inside the Qortex Complex, David felt a surge of calm and control and kicked furiously at the rogue personality that had bitten his leg. It took a few good kicks, but he eventually got it in the head and it squealed and let go. David quickly scrambled into the crevice, panting, hugging his legs to his chest. Time worked differently in the Qortex Complex. One second under an alter’s control could be one hour in the real world.

Speaking of the real world...

The first thing he noticed was the pain, a sharp throbbing in his foot, a harsh sting in his arm and his side. The second thing he noticed was the ground, once entirely green now scorched with patches of bare dirt, burnt grass and splatters of blood. The third thing he noticed was Daken, lying in the grass, singed with swiftly healing burns and a giant hole in his head that was quickly patching itself back together. David would've felt quite satisfied if he weren't in so much pain. He sat back and slowly watched Daken regenerate.

“Mmph,” Daken grunted, sitting up, putting a hand up to his head and quickly pulling it away as it touched bare, bloody flesh. He opened his eye to see David sitting splayed out in the grass and immediately jumped to his feet, claws at the ready.

“It's me, it's me!” David called, holding out his hand, Scottish accent returned.

Daken put his hands back by his side, but didn't sheath his claws. He took a few discreet deep breaths to get his heart rate down. His head was pounding, but the pain was quickly fading. The vision in his left eye came back and he could feel the skin slowly returning to cover his skull. “David, glad to have you back.” He responded nonchalantly. “So, where are we?”

“I don't know.” David replied, still trying to catch his breath. “Fuck, this hurts!” He grimaced, a pool of blood slowly forming around him, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

“Can you teleport us out?" Daken asked, unconcerned.

He winced, holding his head, “For the time being, no.”

“Then I guess we're stuck here.”

“Fuck!” David yelled, more about the pain in his foot than the prospect of being stuck anywhere with Daken (which was still a very unpleasant concept).

“Can you heal yourself?”

“If I could I would.”

As much as Daken would like to see David perish (a god, killed by his own hand no less), he needed him alive to get out of here. He grumbled, sheathing his claws, and pulled off his shirt, ripping it into strips as he walked over to David.

“Woah, I'm not-"

“Oh, shut up.” Daken grumbled. He knelt by David and gingerly took off his shoe.

“You have a lot more tattoo than I thought you did.” David mumbled, his face turning pale.

“Mm,” Daken grumbled in return as he started wrapping the strip of cloth carefully and clinically around David’s foot. The tattoo that covered the entire left side of his body had a long and arduous history, one he didn't like to think about.

David winced as Daken took his arm and started bandaging up the wounds inflicted by his claws. He noticed David was growing increasingly limp. It wouldn't be long before he passed out. The least Daken could do was make sure he didn't die. After he finished with his arms he lifted up his shirt, now sticky with blood, to reveal the deep gouge in his abdomen. He grimaced, it was deeper than he thought. He took the longest strip and wrapped it around David's fortunately very thin body. He made this one especially tight...as...it…...

Daken found himself in a small, dark, circular room, the walls porous and bulbous. David stood facing the wall, his hands behind his back, tapping his foot impatiently. His arm, Daken noticed, was a sickly green, and growing out of it were two yellow eyes on stalks and a tube-like mouth. “David?”

“Oh, you made it!” David exclaimed, turning to face him. “I assume I passed out.”

“Where the fuck am I?”

David grinned. “Ha. I can't believe it actually worked.”

“Are you going to explain yourself, or am I just going to have to guess?”

“You, Daken, are in my mind.” He gestured around the room. “Well this isn't my mind, this is only a small part of it, it’s where I've been hiding since your pheromones fucked with my brain. That, out there,” he pointed to a small crevice in the wall, “that's where the rest of my mind is, where the little beasties live that threaten to destroy the world at any moment. Go on, take a listen.”

Daken furrowed his brow, and pressed his ear against the wall. Outside, he could faintly hear shouts and growls and a million different voices spouting things incomprehensible. He smirked. “You're even more fucked up than I thought.”

“Aye, that's what they all say,” David retorted with some gravitas. “Anyway, I tried to set things up so that if I passed out, my mind would drag you in here, looks like it worked.”

“Why would you want me in your head?”

“So you can help me wrestle the beasties in here so I can heal myself and get us out of wherever the hell we are. Trust me, I hate you being in my head as much as you hate being in here, but like it or not, I need you. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not exactly the pinnacle of physical prowess.”

Daken smirked. He didn't know where he expected the day to go, but it was certainly not this. “Alright, but one more thing,” he pointed, “what the fuck is on your arm?”

“Oh that's-"

“I am Tyrranix the Abominoid! Tremble before my-"

“Oh shut up, you,” David flicked the little monster in the mouth. “He can be a twat at times but he's a good bloke at heart. He grants me the power of telepathy. We merged a while back. He's really the only one of my monsters that did that. Makes sense, considering...” He trailed off.

Daken grinned, he'd set up the perfect opportunity to hit him where it hurts, how could he pass it up? “Your father.”

David glared at him, “Well you’re one to talk about that, aren't you. You happen to be the offspring of Logan. Or _Wolverine_ as the nafties up at the mansion like to call him.”

“And what is the name they have for you…” Daken mused.

“Don't.”

“It's on the tip of my tongue, I just can't…”

“Don't you dare.”

“Oh, that's right!”

“Don't you fucking dare!”

“ _Legion_.”

The walls of the Qortex Complex trembled, and David shook in turn. He'd heard that name every day he'd been at the mansion, from someone, always someone. They never meant it degradingly (most of the time), but each time he heard it, the more it hurt. And hearing it from _him_ , from _Logan’s_ son. He couldn't handle it, he just couldn't.

“Oh fuck you! It’s a schoolyard name kids use to pick on the bloody schizo! What do you have, sociopathy, ASPD? They might as well call you Patrick Bateman!” He yelled, fists clenched.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Daken put his hands up, still smiling, “no more picking on the schizo.” He couldn't have David’s brain falling apart, especially while he was _inside_ it. He began releasing calming pheromones, hoping they'd still work in this metaphysical place.

David took a deep breath. “Yes, they do.” He replied, reading his mind, “And usually I'd be pissed off at you for manipulating me like this, but right now I can use all the help I can get.”

“Is a thank you in order?”

“Oh fuck off.”

Daken smirked, “So where do we start?”

David sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, first I’m going to have to heal myself up. For that we’ll need Angel.”

“I assume she's the healer."

“Aye, but she's not just a healer. She can manipulate flesh, drain people's blood in an instant, cause cells to duplicate at a highly accelerated rate. She is _not_ to be trifled with.”

“Can she hurt us in here?”

“Well, she can kick me, scratch me, bite me to take over my body, but in regards to her powers, I'm safe.” He looked at Daken, “You, however, are not.”

“I can still heal in here, right?”

“I don't know.” David mumbled.

“You don't _know_?”

“Look, I don't invite people into my head very often! And when I do, they're usually psychic, so no, I don't know if physical powers translate into my mind.”

Daken unsheathed the claws on his right arm. “I still have my claws, and my pheromones.”

“Both very good signs.”

Daken took his claws and made a small incision in his left arm. “Hm,” he frowned.

“Is it healing?”

“No.”

“Well fuck.”

Daken would have to agree.

“Alright, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. First things first, we have to find Angel. And honestly, with all that mess out there, I have no clue where to start.”

“What does she smell like?”

“What?”

“Does she have a scent?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“Then put it in my brain.”

“You can track her?”

Daken smirked, “I'm a man of many talents.”

“Alright then.” David concentrated all his energy on to his memories of Angel. He tried not to think about the time she scratched his metaphysical eye out, or sliced off his metaphysical arm, or the time she took over his body and what happened to all those people...No, just her, what does she smell like? Kind of sickly sweet, and clean, like anesthetic. He planted the memory in Daken's head, like planting a thought. _You got i-_ “Oh, my bad.” He said, pulling partially out of Daken’s mind. “You got it?”

Daken took a deep breath inward. He could already begin to pick up traces of her. Faint, but they were present. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Alright, we're gonna have to go out there and leave this room. You’ll have to protect me, but remember, _you can't kill any of them_ . As much as I'd like these arseholes out of my head, their powers don't disappear, they just go to someone else, and the less powerful we can keep these guys, the better. And before you go getting any ideas, _no_ , the powers don't go to you.”

“I assume I can still kick the crap out of them.”

“Oh, please do.”

“Shall I go first?”

David gestured toward the crevice. “Lead the way.”

Daken pushed his hands into the crack in the spongy wall and pulled himself through. “Wow.” He uttered.

“Yeah, she's a real shitshow, ain't she?”

Even with the light back and the fog cleared, the Qortex Complex was, indeed, a shitshow. There were structures, ledges, bridges leading nowhere. The walls and floors were constantly changing texture and color, some of them shifting and morphing before their eyes. And scattered all around the place were hundreds of thousands of creatures of all shapes and sizes, creating a cacophonous orchestra of growls, shrieks, and indistinguishable words.

“I used to have a safe spot over there.” David pointed to the far end of the ledge they were on. “Carefully constructed, all of my own design. Then your pheromones had to go and fucking ruin it.”

“You confronted me. What did you expect?”

David shook his head. “Whatever, past is in the past. Let's focus on what's important. Where's Angel.”

Daken tilted his head up and sniffed the air, making sure to do so with a sense of regality. He didn't want to look like his father. “She’s somewhere in that direction.” He said gesturing towards a lower floor in the Qortex Complex.

“Do you know where, exactly?”

“I’d have to get closer.”

David took a deep, exacerbated breath. “Alright, but we'll have to be _extremely_ careful. Most of the ones up here are weaker, but any one of these buggers, especially the ones down there, could disintegrate you just by looking at you. And if they got hold of me, well, that could be the end of the world.”

“So I assume we'll have to take the stealthy route.”

“Aye, that'll be-"

David was interrupted by Karlax as it lunged at him, mouth agape. Daken quickly leapt in front of him and delivered a swift kick to monster's face. It let out a high pitch squeal as it slammed against the wall and dropped to the ground, unconscious, thin red blood leaking out of its head.

David stepped back, breathing heavily, eyes wide. Daken turned his head towards him, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. David shook his head, quickly gathering himself. “Alright then.”

“Not even a thank you?”

“You don't deserve one and you never will.” David said. “Anyway, stealthy route. I think I know a series of tunnels this way…”

David lead them down the ledge and on to another, Daken fending off any of the personalities that came their way. Of course, even in this setting, Daken couldn't help but make conversation. He could never resist poking the bear. “So, Professor X...”

“Professor _Xavier_ .” David quickly corrected, “Professor _Charles Xavier_.”

“Yes, Professor _Xavier_. What is he like?” Daken asked, kicking Skullsplitter off the ledge.

“Didn't you meet?” David replied curtly.

“Yes, but it was...brief.”

David grumbled something inaudible in return.

“When did he first find out he was your father?”

David glared at Daken, “I know what you're trying to do.”

“Oh do you now?” He asked, punching a rogue Betty Bubbles in the face.

“Course I do shitbrains. I'm in your _head_ , remember? And you should know, it's not working.”

Daken smirked. They both knew he was succeeding. But David wasn't going down without a fight.

They walked for a while longer before David spoke, “You grew up in a small Japanese village in the 1940s, didn't you?” He asked, “And you're only half Japanese. That must've been tough, especially with that hair of yours. Or maybe you didn't have such a tough time, maybe you were just petty enough to kill anyone who slighted you.”  Daken grinned, focusing his mind on what he considered to be the best parts of his childhood. He let David know that he most certainly was petty enough. “Ugh, you're disgusting.” David sneered. “I wonder what your father must've thought when he found out _you're_ his son.” He held up a finger. “Actually, I don't need to wonder. I've looked into his mind. And you know what he felt when he found out who you were?”

“What?”

“Pity. Complete and utter pity.”

Daken’s smile faltered slightly, and David grinned. Daken should've known; psychics were always better at playing mind games. Or at least that was what he told himself.

“The tunnels are down here,” David said, lifting up a small metal hatch. “We’ll have to crawl, but I think you can handle that.” He got down on his hands and knees and moved forward, his hair bent backwards as he slid into the tunnel. Daken sighed and followed suit.

The tunnel shrank and widened as they crawled forward, sloped forward and then down. In the meantime, Daken was thinking. He couldn't let David have the last word. No way was this broken-brained little charity case going to outdo him. “You know, I've been wondering,” he posited, “you didn't have to confront me in the bar like that.”

“Hm?” David asked, lips pressed tight.

“I mean, you said it yourself; if it weren't for my pheromones, you were in a safe space, you were in control, you could've had me.”

“Hm.” David grunted.

“You just had to confront me directly, didn't you? You couldn't help yourself. You had to take part in the typical superhero theatrics. You _so_ desperately want to be one, it would be cute if it weren't so sad.”

“You just have to be a complete and utter dick all the time, don't you.” David growled, “You just can't help yourself.”

“Just making an observation.”

As they neared the end of the tunnel, they could hear the noises growing louder. Slowly, the tunnel opened up, and they were able to crouch, and eventually stand. Angel's scent was getting stronger. Typically, David would be getting anxious as he approached his more dangerous personalities, but Daken’s pheromones were keeping him calm, and though he was thankful, he'd never admit it.

“This is it.” David said as they approached a large steel door. “On the other side of that door, there are hundreds of monsters with nearly unlimited capabilities that could destroy you in an instant.”

“That's where Angel is.”

“So are we going?”

Daken grinned, he always loved a challenge. “Let's do it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where I start deviating from canon.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Just one more thing before we go.” Daken said, this next part was going to be fun.

“What is that?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“Oh no.” David said, peering into Daken’s mind.

“I’m going to need to confuse your brain.”

“Oh no, don’t you dare-”

But already, he could feel the fear pheromones overcoming him. The Qortex Complex darkened. The cacophony made by all his rogue personalities grew louder, more frightened.

“Fuck you.” But David’s voice was meek. More than anything he wanted to curl into a ball and hide.

“Alright,” Daken grinned, unsheathing his claws, “Here we go.” He slid through the doors and made a beeline for Angel, dodging the other monsters left and right, slinking past them swiftly, silently. They were so confused, they didn’t even know he was there. The room was dark, but with his keen senses he navigated it seamlessly.

Finally, he arrived at Angel. She was tall, at least twice as tall as him, perhaps taller. She was shaped like a teardrop, head resting atop a very long neck with a bulbous body. Emerging from this body were long, spindly arms ending in sharp, claw-like fingers. Daken’s plan was to knock her out and take her back to David. The problem was, however, that the head was not within reach. Only one way to get to it: he had to climb.

He leapt up as high as he could and sunk his claws into Angel’s neck. She screeched and swung around violently. He held on and started making his way up her body, digging his claws in with each climb. His teeth were gritted, but his mouth was formed into a smile.

That smile, however, faded, as he started to feel a burning pain in his arm. He looked over to see his arm growing, bulging, tumors sprouting up from his flesh. He hurried his pace.

Finally reaching her head, he swung at her with all the force he could muster, smashing his fist several times into her skull. She swung her head around wildly, but Daken held on tight. After about twenty hits, she went down, her body falling to the floor with a thud.

Growling, Daken grabbed her neck and ran toward the steel doors as fast as he could, dragging Angel behind him. He felt a familiar sensation as a blast of fire singed his back, but he ignored it. Flinging the doors open, he dragged Angel inside.

He stood for a while, catching his breath. His back stung and his arm ached, but the pain wasn’t going away. This wasn’t a sensation he was familiar with. He didn’t like it.

David was sitting curled up in a ball, head buried in his legs, shaking furiously. He barely noticed Daken’s entrance, his mind was ringing with fear.

Daken could tell David was suffering. Part of him wanted to keep it that way for putting him in this stupid fucking situation, but a much larger part of him just wanted to get out of his brain and in to the real world where he could heal again. So, he stopped emitting the fear pheromones and replaced them with a strong dose of calm. “Why the _fuck_ do you call her _Angel_?” He asked.

David slowly lifted his head, quickly wiping away the tears he had been shedding as he felt a wave of peace and tranquility wash over him. “You got her.” He said.

“You say that like you thought I wouldn’t.” Daken retaliated.

“God, what happened to you.” David spoke, noticing Daken’s sorry state. His arm was a mess of tumors and blood was dripping from his back.

“She did. Or more accurately, _you_ did.” He snarled, “Now do your thing and get me out of here. I _am not_ dying in your brain.”

“Alright, alright.” David stuck his hand into Angel’s skull. “Mine is the power of-

-biomanipulation.”  He was back in the real world, in the field. His cold body was quickly getting warmer as he felt the blood return to his veins. Focusing on his wounds, he stitched the broken flesh back together with a simple thought. In mere seconds, he was good as new.

Daken groaned, and rubbed his head. “Do not. Do that. _Again_.” He growled, standing up.

“No promises.” David replied curtly, putting his broken shoe back on his foot.

“Now, if you don’t mind, would you kindly _get us out of here_.” Daken spoke, venom dripping from every word.

“Gladly,” David retorted. “Just have to find Polimeter.” He muttered.

“Who?”

“The teleporter. I don’t know where she is.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“You don’t have to join me, I can find her on my own.” David crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and placed his hands on his knees. “Might take a bit of time though…”

Daken took a deep breath. He was letting his rage control him. He was acting too much like his father. He needed to be calm, cool, collected, like he always was. “Well, I’ve got all the time in the world.” He said smoothly.

“Good.” This would also give David a chance to look for Stasis Sven. Then he would have a viable exit plan and this whole thing wouldn’t have been a complete waste of time and energy. He would just knock Daken out with his telepathy, but Daken’s psychic defenses were too strong, and something told him Daken would be more difficult to catch off-guard than his father.

There was a long moment of silence between the two as David sat, concentrating, and Daken paced listlessly back and forth, his hands behind his back, his head tilted toward the sky.

David was feeling increasingly frustrated with himself. It wasn’t bad enough that he lost control, but he had to employ _Daken’s_ help to wrangle his personalities. _Daken_ of all fucking people. He was feeling very unstable, and this mindset was not helping his inner self. All the training, all the therapy he did with his dad, it couldn't have been all for naught, right? It wasn't true what they said about him, he could control himself, he _could_.

Daken stopped his relentless pacing, looked up at the clouds, and let out a sigh. This was no longer fun. He needed to fix that. There was a bear to poke sitting right in front of him. Why wasn’t he poking it? “You know I was thinking…” He mused.

“Hm?” David murmured, lifting an eyebrow.

“You are a man, or perhaps a child would be the better word, who carries the accent of neither his mother nor his father.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing, I just find it interesting.”

“Have you forgotten that I can read your mind? I know you’re just trying to annoy me.” He spoke. “Doesn’t take a psychic to figure that out.” He mumbled.

“Mm...” Daken hummed slyly, “Have I forgotten?” He focused his mind on the implications of his words, of what it said about David’s relationship to his parents.

David furrowed his brow and pulled out of Daken’s mind, but not entirely. He still needed to keep a psychic eye on the psychopath.

Once he felt David was sufficiently bothered by his parental issues, Daken concentrated on some of his own more...explicit actions: centering on the litany of people he killed or fucked or both.

“You know you’re not helping us get out of here any faster.” David spoke calmly.

“I know, I’m just...bored.”

“This is what you do when you’re bored, try to fuck with people’s heads?”

Daken grinned, “Yes.”

David shook his head. “You’re pathetic, you know that. Truly, absolutely, pathetic.”

“Oh _I’m_ the pathetic one.” Daken spoke, amused. “At least I’m not trying to appease a group of people who will never accept me.”  He said. “At least I didn’t let my mother _die_.”

So they’re playing now hard ball, are they? “This all coming from a man whose father _drowned_ him in a _puddle_.”

Daken stopped his pacing. “Tried to drown me. I survived.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Hey, if you want me dead, you have the power.”

“I’d never stoop that low.”

Daken resumed his pacing. “So you have the power, but not the will.” He mused. “A chip off the old block.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” David held out his hand toward Daken, his eyes glowing yellow. “Mine is the power of force field generation.” He said as a semi-opaque bubble encompassed Daken. Took him long enough, but he was finally able to get his hands on Polimeter, and while he couldn't find Stasis Sven, he found a close enough equivalent in Felix Fielder.

Daken’s eyes glimmered at him from within the force field, his lips fixed in a blood boiling, all-knowing smirk. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.

David cupped his hand over his ear and leaned toward Daken. “What’s that, I can’t hear you?” He teased. He’d engineered it so sound could enter the force field, but it couldn't escape it.

 _I said, looks like you finally got your hands on your force field generator._ Daken thought, knowing full well David was listening. _I was wondering how you were going to subdue me. I didn’t think you would go about it in such a convoluted manner. Then again, you_ are _trying to impress the X-Men, and convolution is right up their alley. So bravo, looks like you’ve accomplished your goals. If I were the type to root for the underdog, I’d be giving you my full applause._

“I’m not trying to impress the X-Men.” David snarled. “I’m trying to imprison a mass murderer. And succeeding at that.”

Daken lifted an eyebrow. _Are you now?_

Did Daken really have some grand scheme? It was likely he was just trying to psych David out, but David wanted to be sure, so he dug deeper into Daken’s psyche. However, all he could find were a series of disparate, half-formed ideas about how he planned to escape and a lingering fear of being turned in to the X-Men. But something seemed...off about his state of mind. It wasn’t changing. It was more or less static. Was he really this confused, or had he done something to his mind? It would take a lot of power of confuse David’s telepathy. He’d seen something like this before when someone was panicking. That must’ve been what was happening, David decided, feeling a good amount of satisfaction from eliciting such an emotion in Daken.

Little did David know, while he had psychically pulled out of Daken’s head, Daken had been fast at work. David was right, it would take a lot to confuse his telepathy. Lucky for Daken, he’d had extensive training in defense against telepaths, and while his consciousness was mostly free from David’s scrutiny, he’d constructed a false state of mind that would hold up to careful inspection, one that would take him right where he wanted to go. He knew he couldn’t hold this false consciousness for long though, so he threw in a couple...grotesque images that would surely keep David from prodding further.

Sure enough, David pulled partially out of Daken’s head as an image that could only be described as a blood orgy appeared bright and clear in Daken’s mind. David shook his head. “Everytime I think you can’t disgust me further, you manage to surprise me.”

Daken’s grin widened. _I’m just full of surprises._

Well, Daken seemed terrified to go to the X-Men, so David supposed that’s where he should take him. And as much as he’d hate to admit how much it meant to him, it would certainly serve to impress the X-Men. Perhaps it would finally make them see him as more of an asset than a liability. However, he’d need to prepare them first. He took a deep breath and reached out telepathically. _Dad_.

 _David?_ His father responded immediately. _Is everything okay?_

 _You know those cuffs you use on Logan and his ilk?_ He responded. _You might want to pull those out_.

There was a moment of silence, then, _David, you really shouldn’t be getting involved in this sort of thing._

David furrowed his brow. _Well I did, and I succeeded, so maybe a thank you is in order._

A psychic sigh reverberated throughout his skull. _We’ll talk about this later. Just come to the mansion, we’ll take care of Daken._

 _You’re welcome_. David projected with unbridled spite.

“Ready to go see your dad?” He asked Daken, a malicious smile on his face.

 _Are you ready to see yours_ _?_ Daken returned, grinning slyly.

David rolled his eyes as the world shifted around them and they suddenly found themselves in another grassy field. Although here, the two could see a familiar mansion in the distance.

_Couldn’t get any closer? Ah that’s right, they have those teleportation defenses. Only a select few can bamf in and it looks like you aren’t one of them. How sad. Oh well, at least we get to spend some more quality time together._

“Will you _shut up_!” David growled as he started making his way toward the mansion, the bubble containing Logan’s psychopathic offspring floating gently behind him a few feet above the ground.

 _I’m not saying anything_. Daken thought with faux innocence.

David rolled his eyes harder than he ever had in his entire life. “Let’s just get this over with.” He muttered.

David marched toward the mansion, bubble in tow. Daken kept making psychic jabs at him, but he was able to ignore them for the most part. By this time, David had gotten used to Daken’s little mind games, and he was tired of them. He just wanted to drop him off in the hands of someone more capable and leave.

What David was dreading, however, was his approach to the mansion. Sure, he lived there, but he didn’t interact with most of the other mutants. He stayed in the basement, where only those with the highest security clearance were allowed to venture. Made him feel all the more like a freak, but at least he didn’t have to suffer the scrutiny of the other mutants. And he didn’t have to feel too nervous about hurting others if one of his alters took over. Didn’t stop everyone but his dad from calling him “Legion” though.

He could teleport to his room in the basement, but there was no way he was letting Daken know where he stayed.

As they entered the grounds of the mansion, heads began to turn. David did his best to ignore them, continuing his steady march. Daken, however, reveled in the attention, waving his hand and blowing kisses like a star walking down the red carpet. The mutants began to whisper as he walked into their midst. “Legion.”

“It’s Legion.”

“What is Legion doing here?”

“It’s Legion.”

“He's supposed to be crazy.”

“Who does he have with him?”

“Holy shit, is that Wolverine’s kid?”

“Legion.”

“I heard he’s a psychopath.”

“Which one?”

“Legion is Professor X’s son.”

“Really? He doesn’t look like it.”

“What’s up with his hair?”

“I heard he’s an Omega level mutant.”

“He's Omega level crazy.”

David glared daggers at the source of that last remark. The mutant shrunk backwards, fear in his eyes. Grumbling, he continued forward, keeping his eyes level, not daring to look at the other mutants.

Just as he was about to open the door to the mansion, it flung open, revealing an all-too-familiar short, stout, hairy man.

“Logan.” David said, almost relieved.

“Legion.” Logan grumbled back.

“I told you not to call me that.” David called after him as Logan approached the bubble. Daken grinned widely and wiggled his fingers in greeting. _‘Hello, father.’_ He mouthed.

Logan grunted and crossed his arms, staring at his son for a little longer, face unmoving, but David could sense the amalgam of emotions boiling inside Logan’s head: pity, shame, regret, fear, anger...love. David almost felt sorry for poor guy. Logan turned around and walked back into the mansion. “C’mon.” He commanded in his gruff voice. “Let’s get this over with.”

Inside the mansion there were still stares, but far less whispers, the absence of sound no doubt caused by Logan’s presence. As they were walking, Daken spotted a familiar face in the crowd. The young mutant stared at Daken like a deer in the headlights.

 _‘Nice to see you again, Evan.’_ Daken mouthed with a devilish grin. Evan took off running in the other direction, prompting a silent laugh from Daken.

David felt a strong pang of emotion emanating from Logan at the interaction. Daken was the one who’d psychologically tortured the kid, but Logan carried the guilt.

“I’m never having children.” David muttered under his breath. He heard Logan snort in response.

Going down some hallways and through several locked doors, they eventually reached an imposing steel door. Logan placed his hand on what looked like a very technologically advanced scanner. After a second, the scanner turned green and there was a click as the door unlocked. “C’mon.” Logan grunted. The door closed and locked behind them as Logan led David and the captured Daken down a long set of stair.

Reaching the bottom, they were greeted by Professor Xavier as he rolled down the long hallway toward them. “Thank you, Logan. Would you mind getting the-”

Logan grunted, nodding his head once as he walked past them, making a left turn at the nearest hall.

“David,” Professor Xavier said as he wheeled up to them, “you should’ve consulted me before you left the grounds.”

David crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “I’m not a prisoner here.”

“David, you know that’s not what I-” Xavier flicked his eyes toward Daken, who held a wide grin on his face, eating up the interaction between father and son. “Let’s not do this in front of an audience.”

“I agree.”

“Go to sleep, Daken.” And just like that, Daken was out like a light, falling gently to the bottom of the bubble in an unconscious heap.

“Would’ve done that a long time ago, but I couldn’t get past his defenses.” David grumbled.

“I don’t blame you, David, his telepathic defenses are very strong. Though with some training, I can teach you to get past such fortifications.”

David huffed, crossing his arms tighter as Logan came back around the corner carrying two forearm sized columns, rounded closed and attached at the end.

“You can release the force field bubble now, David.”

David sighed, and the bubble disappeared. Daken started falling to the ground but Logan, acting seemingly on pure instinct, ran to catch him. Seeing Daken laying in his father’s arms prompted some strange emotions in David. Was that sympathy? For Daken? This feeling only grew as Logan gently put Daken’s hands in the cuffs, one and then the other. There was a gentle _click_ as his wrist reached the end of the tube.

“Would you mind taking him to the cell, Logan? I’d like a word with David.”

Logan grunted in response. David knew he was trying to act tough, but Logan’s lack of verbalization was simply an attempt to hide the storm of emotions raging inside his head. David didn’t know why he bothered trying hide such a thing in front of two telepaths, but the man had a reputation to uphold and dignity to keep, it was simply instinct to keep his emotions buried deep inside.

Throwing his son’s arms over his shoulders, Logan made his way down the hallway, Daken’s feet dragging on the floor. From behind, it almost looked like Daken was giving his father a hug.


	3. Chapter 3

“David,” Xavier turned around the way he came, “follow me.” He led David down the hallway, opposite the direction of Logan and Daken. There was a long moment of silence, then, “So you lost control again.”

“It was only for a short while. I fought her off and the only person she hurt was Daken so it was no big loss.”

“David, you know how dangerous that is.”

“You mean how dangerous _I am_. And stop saying my name, I know you’re talking to me.”

Xavier sighed. “Da-” He caught himself. “ _You_ are not dangerous. It’s the creatures that lie inside your mind. It is no fault of your own that you have rampant personalities vying for power inside your head.”

“Aye, you might want to remind your fellow X-Men of that.” David said spitefully.

They reached an elevator that had a scanner attached to the wall beside the door. Xavier pressed his hand against it. “I know this is hard for you, David,” the scanner turned green and the doors opened, Xavier wheeled inside, David followed close behind, “but we have to manage your symptoms, if they get out of control they can be extremely dangerous.” The doors closed behind them. “And I can’t imagine it’s exactly pleasant for you either.”

David grumbled something inaudible in return, staring down at his broken shoe.

“It seems like Daken did a number on your Qortex Complex. Why don’t we go to your room, I’ll help you fix it.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken groaned, and tried to stretch out his arms, but found they wouldn’t move apart. He felt a mattress under his back, a pillow beneath his head. He opened his eyes, and was greeted to a ceiling and walls made of steel. Sitting up, he looked around the room. There was a toilet, a combination drinking fountain and sink, and a pleasant surprise leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. “Father.” He grinned. “Here to keep me company?”

“You woke up fast.” He grunted. “Charles must've known…”

“Known what, father?”

Logan looked him in the eye. “That I’d wanna talk to ya.”

“Oh, do I finally have my father’s attention?” He pressed the cuffs against his heart. “Truly, I’m touched.”

“Knock it off, kid.”

“Or what?” Daken asked. “You’ll drown me again?” He spoke in Japanese, gravitas seeping into his voice.

“That...I didn’t want to do that.” He responded in Japanese.

“And yet, you did.”

Logan stared at the ground. “I had to, Daken. For the safety of the students.”

“So you chose them over me.”

Logan sighed. “You’re dangerous, son.”

“So is David, but you don’t see his father drowning him.”

“I…” He paused, then looked up at Daken. “I never wanted to hurt you. Never. But sometimes you leave me no goddamn choice.”

“Because that’s your go-to solution for everything, isn’t it father? Violence.”

Logan scratched his head. “I wish it was that simple, I really do.” He grumbled.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

David threw himself down on his bed. “I need new shoes,” he said as he slipped them off, holding up the one with a hole in it for his father to see.

“I’ll talk to Kurt about it.” Xavier said as he wheeled in the room, closing the door behind him.

David tossed the shoes in the trash. His room was large and highly furnished. It had the typical staples of a bedroom: a dresser, a hamper, a mirror, shelves containing various knick-knacks, a carpet, several posters of movies, TV shows, and video games, and an unkempt king-sized bed. However, his room also contained a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall, several gaming consoles, two incredibly comfortable bean bags, an ornate desk with a state-of-the-art PC, and a treadmill that was never used.

All this was an attempt to make David feel like he was in a home and not a prison. It worked, sometimes. It also served to entertain him and keep him from getting too restless, which worked even less.

The reinforced fire-proof kinesis-proof telepathy-proof everything-proof walls, floor, and ceiling certainly didn’t help the matter. Nor did the lockable-from-the-outside door.

David was by no means trapped in his room, but he was highly discouraged from leaving it. Attempting to traverse the mansion would result in whispers and stares from students, and any adult mutant that caught him would quickly send him back to his room. There were hidden doors at the back of the mansion, one accessible from inside and one accessible from outside. Each required a palm and finger scan from David or a few other select mutants - the only such thing David's particular hand would unlock - that opened to a set of stairs (or an elevator for Xavier) leading down to his room.

The construction of such a room was far less strenuous than one would likely believe. With an abundance of matter-manipulating mutants at your disposal, the assembly of such a space was practically effortless.

“I’d like to get my _own_ shoes, if you don’t mind.” David said.

“David, your mind is in a very precarious state right now. You should stay in your room for at least the next couple of days until we get you stabilized.”

David crossed his arms. “With all due respect dad, you lost the authority to tell me what to do a long time ago.”

Xavier sighed. “I would _highly suggest_ you stay in your room for the next couple of days. Any stimulation could be severely detrimental to your mental state.”

“I’m doing fine right now.”

“It would be extremely dangerous if you lost control in an uncontrolled environment.”

“I’m doing fine.”

“David-

-look at you.” Xavier appeared, standing, inside the Qortex Complex. David was hiding inside the spongy crevice, curled up in a ball, bleeding from several deep wounds on his arms, legs, and torso, face wet with tears, though he was no longer crying. Xavier knelt by him and put an arm on his shoulder. “Dav-” David wrapped his arms around his father and buried his face in the crook of his neck. His body shook as tears started streaming down his face. Xavier enclosed David in his arms. “It’s okay…” he lulled, stroking David’s back, “it’s okay...”

Despite David’s outward appearance during the search, he had not had an easy time finding Polimeter or Felix Fielder. He’d had to settle for Felix after things had gotten too intense out in the Qortex Complex. The pheromones had agitated the alters more than usual, and any functional safe space David had was now completely destroyed. There were hundreds of them, thousands, shouting at him, grabbing at him, scratching at him, slashing at him, tackling him to the ground forcing him to desperately crawl free before he got bit. It was a nightmare. His brain was a nightmare.

“Dad…” He whimpered between sobs. “Dad...why am I like this...why-” He was choked by his tears.

“It’s not you David.” He spoke softly. “You are not your illness.” He hugged him tighter. “We can beat this.” He said. “We can control it. _You_ can control it.”

Xavier held David until the sobs slowed and eventually subsided. David slowly uncoupled from his father and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Look at me, cryin’ like a little girl.”

“You have every right to be upset, David.” Xavier said. “I would be worried if you didn’t break down every once in a while.”

David let out a little laugh.

“Your wounds…” Xavier pointed out.

David looked down at his body. His metaphysical wounds had completely disappeared. He smiled.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken let a breath out between his cheeks. “Can I at least get a shirt?” He asked in English

“We both know you don’t need one _or_ want one.” Logan replied, switching back to English as well.

Daken held the cuffs out in front of him. “How am I going to eat?”

“You don’t need to do that either.”

“But I want to. You _do_ know I get hungry, don’t you dad?”

“You can handle it.”

“How am I supposed to take a piss?”

“I’m sure you can manage.”

“Depriving me of food? Obstructing my ability to relieve myself? This is torture, dad.” He smirked, “Killing me and then torturing me? That's not very fatherly of you.”

“You’ve done the same to me.”

“I'm your son, I'm _supposed_ to act out.”

Logan sighed. “If you _behave_ , we’ll take the cuffs off.”

“Oh dad,” he grinned, “behaving isn’t in my vocabulary.”

“Then I guess you’ll be stuck with those.”

Daken flopped back onto the bed. “You know for a cell, this bed is surprisingly comfy.” He said, staring at the ceiling.

Logan paused for a second, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, I better get going.” He grumbled.

Daken shot up in his bed, “Wait, one more thing.”

“What?” Logan asked, almost sounding hopeful.

A malicious grin spread across Daken’s face. “One last gift before you leave…” He focused all his energy on emitting a strong concoction of pheromones: fear, anger, sorrow, anxiety, every negative emotion he could conjure. He released them in the highest concentration he could muster, and Logan’s sensitive nose would certainly make the effect of these pheromones even more powerful.

“Goddamnit son.” He growled as he quickly exited the room.

“I’m still mad at you, father!” Daken called as the door shut and locked behind Logan. He laid down on the bed, hands behind his head, chuckling satisfactorily to himself.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Xavier stepped confidently out of the crevice, David following reluctantly behind. Immediately, a little personality came running up behind them. David flinched, but with a simple wave of his hand, Xavier knocked the alter off the edge and it went squealing down into the recesses of David’s brain. “Don’t worry, David. I’ll make sure they won’t get to you.”

David nodded as he watched the four-legged creature tumble down over the ledge. Tyrranix the Abominoid stretched his little eyestalks, trying to catch a little glimpse of the alter’s journey downward.

“Come on,” Xavier gestured for them to move forward, “let’s get to rebuilding.”

David followed Xavier to the area in the Qortex Complex where his safe space used to be. Xavier stood, scratching his chin. All that was left was a ragged hole, the construct completely destroyed by his rogue personalities.

“I don’t think we should rebuild here, they know this is where I was hiding out.”

“I agree.” Xavier said. “Do you have any ideas where we could build you a new safe space?”

David scratched his chin in turn. “Well, the whole secret crevice idea worked out pretty well, but I’d rather keep that space untouched, leave it just for emergencies.” He said, gesturing to the crevice they’d just emerged from.

“Well, I’m sure we can find a similar crevice. Better yet, we can create one.” Xavier pointed to a space on the ledge above them, quite a ways from their current location. “There, we can build something up there.” He said. “Follow me.”

David followed his father down the ledge until it ended. Directly above the overhang was another much higher one. Xavier effortlessly hoisted himself up. David managed to get his forearms up onto the protrusion, but Xavier had to pull him up. “Thanks.” He muttered, face red with embarrassment as he got to his feet.

“Just a while further.” Xavier said as he continued forward. Any rogue personalities were repelled several yards away from David by an invisible bubble. He wished he could have his dad inside his head all the time. He then realized that was a very odd thought.

“It’s not odd at all.” Xavier said. “Well, perhaps it is odd taken out of context, but if I could be here to protect you twenty-four seven I would. Happily.”

“Unfortunately you’ve got the mutant race to save.” David said somewhat spitefully.

“Let’s not get into that right now, David.” Xavier said calmly. “Those conversations always weaken your inner self, we need you to be strong if we’re to construct a viable safe space.”

David grumbled something, unable to completely shake that feeling of resentment he held toward his father.

They walked a little longer before they reach a misshapen, spongy wall. Xavier stopped and turned toward David. “You know I love you.” He said. “You know that.”

David let out a big sigh. “I know,” he mumbled.

Xavier smiled, “Then let’s get to work.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken rolled over on his bed so he was laying flat on his stomach. It had been thirty minutes since his father had left and he was already, “Bored.” He pouted. “I'm _bored!_ ” He announced to no one in particular.

He sheathed and unsheathed his claws individually, creating a little rhythm as they tapped against the inside of the cuffs.

He let out a sigh as he shifted onto his back, holding the cuffs out straight in front of him as they made their little music. Sure he was bored, but all in all this wasn’t the worst situation to be in. Make no mistake, this was still a huge inconvenience to Daken. But that’s all it was, an _inconvenience._ Daken directed David to go to the X-mansion for a reason. He had a plan to escape. He just had to wait for the right opportunity...

In the meantime, he needed to entertain himself. This would be difficult, as his main source of entertainment was other people. The layman may look at Daken and think he despised people for all the shit he put them through. But no, it was quite the opposite. Daken loved people. They were so amusing. They were fun to fuck with, mentally, physically, in any way imaginable really. He loved toying with them, seeing how he could get them to react - not just to his pheromones, but to his words, his body language, his actions. The world was like a playset, and people the dolls.

A playset, however, was no fun without the accompanying toys. Even less so when it was just a box with a bed, a sink, and a toilet. And his lack of hands certainly didn’t help matters.

He sat up and brought the cuffs close to his eyes. He sheathed and unsheathed all his claws at once, there was a collective sprinkling of taps as the tips of claws collided with the metal. Were these even necessary? It wasn’t like there was anyone around he could stab for the time being. He supposed he could try to skewer the hand of whoever slid his food under the flap; a last ditch attempt to enact his plan if all else failed. That is if they _were_ going to serve him food. After that talk with his dad, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe the cuffs were just a precaution for when he had visitors, which would be very unfortunate for his plan. Though he could still easily incapacitate almost anyone who came into his cell. Unlike his father, he didn’t rely entirely on his claws in combat.

Maybe they just felt safer neutering him in such a way. Maybe it was an illusion of security that prompted them to stifle his claws.

He layed back on the bed, letting out another sigh. Whatever the reason, it was a hell of an inconvenience. It certainly put a hamper on his escape plan.

Goddamnit, that was it, wasn’t it! That false consciousness may have been enough to fool David, but there was no way in hell it fooled Professor X. He slapped the cuffs against his forehead. He thought he’d been tricky enough to deceive Professor Xavier, but looking back he realized that was just arrogance. Pure and utter arrogance. He rested the cuffs back on his stomach. He’d just have to hope he’d buried his motives deep enough inside his mind that the Professor didn't notice.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

“Perfect.” Xavier said, dusting off his hand as they surveyed the room around them. It was a neat rectangle with smooth, pink walls and a blue floor textured just like a carpet. On one of the walls was a spongy crevice leading out to the rest of the Qortex Complex.

“Could use some furnishings.” David posited.

“Why don’t you try conjuring some?” Xavier asked, looking at David.

“Hm.” He said. “Alright then.” David bit his lip, concentrating all his power on molding this small part of his brain. Out of the floor slowly formed several small lumps which quickly grew in size. Beads of sweat appeared on David’s brow as those lumps began to shape themselves into two large, chair-esque shapes with a small platform in the middle. His facial features relaxed as he stopped trying to shape his mind, and he stood, breathing heavily. “That’s...that’s all I could do...sorry…” He spoke between breaths.

“You did fine, David.” Xavier said as he formed the melting chairs into something more structurally sound and the platform into a nice, round, wooden table. “I’d say that’s actually quite an improvement.” Xavier complimented.

David raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”

“I do. Last time you were barely able to conjure anything at all.” Xavier looked at his son. “You’re well on your way to becoming the master of your own mind.”

David scoffed. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

“Believe it, David.” Xavier said. “If we keep working at this, we may be able to get your other personalities to merge with you.”

David stared down at the little alter that encompassed his arm, its eyestalks staring right back. “I’ll be a god then.”

Xavier placed a hand on David’s shoulder. “I’ve dealt with Omega level mutants before. As long as you keep a good head on your shoulders, you shouldn’t worry about having too much power.”

“Historically, I’ve always had a very _bad_ head on my shoulders.”

“You know what I mean, David. You’re not power hungry. You wouldn’t let power corrupt you.”

“You’re just-”

“And I’m not just saying that because I’m your dad.” He smiled warmly at David. “Come on, let’s sit.” He walked over to one of the chairs and took a seat. David followed and sat in the other.

“These are nice.” David said, rubbing his hands on the arms of the chair. “Soft.”

“I chose the highest quality fabric I could remember.” Xavier said. “I believe it was labelled grade F, which ironically indicates the greatest expense.”

“Luckily cerebral fabric is free.”

Xavier let loose a little chuckle. “That's very true.”

“Think I could conjure some tea?”

“Give it a shot.”

David focused all his energy on the table in front of him. Out of it slowly rose two porcelain tea cups, filled with warm, steaming hot tea.

“Very good, David!” Xavier praised enthusiastically.

Smiling, David picked up a cup and took a generous sip, then immediately spit it out. “Oh god.” He coughed. “Oh god, that was disgusting.”

Xavier laughed despite himself. “Here, let me fix that.” He said.

David reluctantly took another sip of his tea, a much smaller one this time, tasting sweet and citrusy earl grey. “Better.” He said, somewhat defeated.

“Don’t get down on yourself for not creating the perfect tea. You did well, these cups are very nice.” Xavier held up his cup, taking a sip himself.

David grumbled and took another sip of his tea.

Outside the Qortex Complex, Xavier said. “I have to go. There are some matters I need to attend to, but I’ll stay with you in your head for a little bit longer.”

“Okay.” David said, spaced out on the bed.

“I'll keep the door open so the walls won't cut off our telepathic connection.” Xavier said as he wheeled out of the bedroom.

“Okay.” David responded once more, but his dad was already gone.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken sat on his bed, cross-legged, his hands resting gently in his lap. He’d been trying to meditate for the past hour or so, but he was having trouble quieting his mind. Every now and then he’d slip into still, peaceful, thoughtlessness only to be wrenched out by the nagging idea that his entire escape plan had been compromised and he’d actually been captured by the X-Men. Not just the X-Men, but _David_ of all people. The X-Men’s rejected lunatic.

He could always use his powers of manipulation on whoever came to visit him. His pheromones could be quite strong, and even without them he’d been known to be quite persuasive. But the only person who would ever conceivably visit him would be his father, and he was well aware of Daken’s tricks. He could be manipulated, but it would be difficult. No one wanted Daken in the X-Men’s custody more than his father.

The more he thought about it, the more fatalistic he became about his position. His entire escape plan hinged on his ability to slice through flesh. It would be impossible without his claws. Sure, his father said he could get the cuffs off with good behavior, but there was no way he was waiting that long, and there was _no way_ he was going to behave. He couldn't take that kind of boredom.

Then again, maybe they weren't aware of his escape plan. Maybe he was just being uncharacteristically pessimistic. There was one way to find out...

As if on cue, he heard the sounds of someone wheeling down the hallway. Only one person that could be. _Excuse me, Professor Xavier,_ Daken called out with his mind, overly polite and slightly facetious, he didn't want to abandon his persona entirely, that would give him away instantly, _any chance I could get these cuffs off? I don’t exactly see the purpose of them and they seem a bit...inhumane_.

 _You know why we put them on, Daken_ . Xavier responded matter-of-factly. _That, and David suggested we use them, though I think his motives were more personal than practical._

Daken’s heart sank into his stomach. They knew. They knew what he was planning. He wasn't in control. _They_ were. His _father_ was. This was a deeply unsettling sensation for Daken. Worse than being stuck in David’s mind. Worse than losing his healing factor. Panic began to settle in. He was losing. He had lost.

No. No, he could handle this. He would not succumb to defeat. He would not accept it. He had two options now. Bury his intentions even deeper into his mind, somewhere not even Professor Xavier could reach them, stomach the good behavior, and once he got the cuffs off, follow through with his original plan. Or he could come up with a new plan, one that would hold up under the scrutiny of telepaths, and somehow escape even with the metal handicap restricting his claws.

Neither option seemed ideal, but they were all he was left with. Option B seemed by far the most satisfying, but assuredly the most difficult to pull off. Option A would be boring as hell, but he was certain with enough concentration he could hide his true motives deep enough that not even Professor X could reach them.

Then again, why not both? He could focus his mental energy on option B, and if that didn’t work out, he could execute option A.

He flopped down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Now he just needed to create a foolproof escape plan that would work even with his hands and claws restricted and his captors well aware of his intentions, motives, and scheme. Piece of cake. Hell, it might even be fun.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

David was actually having a pleasant conversation with his father. This was rare. Usually things devolved into how David needed to be more responsible about his well-being, or how Xavier always seemed to prioritize the fight for mutant rights and the X-Men over him (that was always a difficult conversation), but right now all that stuff seemed unimportant. Now, they were just talking about normal stuff: film, literature, non-mutant-related politics and current events. It was nice.  

Of course all good things must come to an end.

“I’m afraid I must get going, David.” Xavier said, standing up from his seat. “Cerebro warrants my attention.”

“Oh,” David said, obviously dejected.

“I wouldn’t get too down,” Xavier said as he began to disappear from David’s mind, “you have a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

Coming to his senses out in the real world, he heard a faint but incessant knocking, and a familiar voice coming from above. “David! Excuse me, sorry. David, let me in, yes, pardon, I want to talk to you!”


	4. Chapter 4

“David! Sorry, yes, no, I heard what was going on. I was in class, excuse me, yes, and I wanted to leave but, yes, I was with Professor Braddock and you know how she, pardon me, is.” Ruth spoke as rapidly as her speech impediment would allow as they walked down the stairs.

They reached the bottom of the staircase. “Ruth.” David suddenly wrapped his arms around her. She froze for a second, then relaxed and reciprocated the hug. “God Ruth, don’t ever let me do anything stupid ever again.”

She laughed. “That’s a tall order.” She gently pulled away from him. “Tell me, yes, everything that happened.”

They went inside his room and sat down on the bean bags, and one very long explanation later, Ruth said, “Well you got him, right? In the end.”

“Yeah, but I went about it in the stupidest way possible.”

Ruth put a hand on his shoulder “You’re here now, you’re, sorry, safe, your mind is sound -  as, pardon, sound as it can be for the time being - and you put, sorry, yes, away the bad guy.”

“Yeah, suppose I did…” David said wistfully.

“What is it?” Ruth asked, sensing David’s pensiveness.

“Nothing, just a nagging little thought. I’ll share it with you later if it becomes anything substantial.”

“Okay.” Ruth said, knowing full well David would share it with her sooner or later, no matter what.

“Want to play a game? I think they just brought me the newest Smash Bros…” He said, looking through his pile of games. “Ah, here we are!” He said, pulling out a copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Ruth furrowed her brow. “You know it’s not really fair when I can’t, pardon, see the screen.”

David looked up at her excitedly. “Aye, I’ve thought of that! That’s why I…” He ran over to his bed, pulled out a t-shirt, and tied it over his eyes, “won’t be able to see the screen either!”

Ruth laughed. “Oh my god, David. You told me, yes, to never let you do anything stupid.”

David carefully felt his way back over to the bean bag. “I know, but this is more cutesy, romantic stupid.” He said as he plopped down on the bean bag and turned his head in the approximate direction of Ruth. “At least, that’s what I’m going for. And I think that kind of stupid gets a pass.”

Ruth grinned. “I’ll allow it.”

David picked up the controller that was lying at his feet, fumbling around with the controls.

“You know, this gives _me_ an advantage, yes, if anything.” Ruth said, as she could actually see the controls (in her own way).

“Good. You’re gonna need it.” David grinned, finally finding the battle option.

It turned out Ruth most certainly didn’t need it. Her ability to see the buttons as well as her acclimation to interpreting what was occurring on screens purely through sound gave her more than enough advantage to handily beat David at every fight. However, that certainly didn’t stop either of them from routinely falling off the edge of the stage.

As they played, David’s ability slowly worsened. It was obvious to Ruth that his mind was starting to drift elsewhere. She didn’t need her telepathy to tell her that.

Finally, she paused the game. “What’s going on David?”

He sighed, and took off the blindfold. “Let’s take this elsewhere.”

Polimeter had slowly started warming up to him, to the point that she didn’t run away or try to bite him when he approached. It was a long way from merging with the personality, but it was progress. Stepping just a few feet outside his safe space, he sunk his hand into Polimeter’s skull.

He put a hand on Ruth’s shoulder, and suddenly they were sitting on top of a remote, derelict castle, far from civilization. To one side of them was a field of grass followed by a lush, green forest as far as the eye could see. To the other side was a body of water, stretching far into the distance. They were met by a cool, gentle breeze.

“Beautiful, innit.” David said, wind rustling through his hair.

“What is it, David? Don’t make me, no, pardon, jump into your head and find out.” She threatened, mostly joking, but only mostly.

He sighed. “It’s this whole Daken thing.”

“What about it?” She was getting slightly impatient, but she was more or less used to David’s roundabout way of getting to the point.

“I just think maybe the X-Men are going about it all wrong. As usual.” He muttered.

“How so?”

“Well, Daken is a psychopath, right? If they still even use that term in proper psychiatry.”

“Yeah…”

“And that’s why he’s dangerous, yeah? Cause he doesn’t feel empathy like we do? Cause he has a natural, innate aversion to following the law?”

“Hm.” Ruth was starting to see where this was going.

“Imagine, Ruth, being born without empathy.”

“David, my brother…”

“Aye, your brother. But he was just looking for hate, wasn’t he? He had empathy, but only for those who were like him. Anyone different was lesser, or worse, an abomination.” He shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to be schooling you on your own brother, Ruth-”

“No, you’re right.” She said.

David stared out into the distance. “Daken has something twisted in his mind that makes him dangerous. And it just…”

“It reminds you of yourself.”

“They shouldn’t be locking him up and throwing away the key. They should be trying to help him, like they’re trying with me.” David sighed. “Am I crazy, Ruth? And not in the usual way. Is this just some bork-brained idea? Is this just me projecting?”

“I...hm…” She thought for a second, feeling the breeze against her face.

“And it’s not like he’s all bad. You know, he only once called me Legion, and that was just to poke fun at me. Even in his mind he refers to me as David. The only other people I know who do that are you and my dad.”

“Honestly, David,” she brushed back a lock of hair, “I think you’re lonely.”

“Lonely?” David asked, taken aback.

“You’re looking for other people, yes, no, like you. And you think you, pardon, found someone in Daken.”

David was silent for a while. The wind started to pick up, but only slightly. “Is that...is that bad?” He finally asked.

“Daken’s dangerous, there’s no, sorry, debating that.”

“But so am-”

“Yes, I know.” Ruth said. “But he’s _manipulative_. He, excuse me, delights in hurting others, yes. You don’t.”

“But he can’t help those things about himself, can he? Not entirely.”

“Do you think you can, no, help him?”

“God, I don’t know Ruth. I think he _should_ be helped. And I don’t think the X-Men are going to do that. Or anyone else”

Ruth scooted closer to David, so their hands were touching. “And you want to take everything into your own hands, yes. As usual.”

David reciprocated Ruth’s advances, entwining her hand in his. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“You’re also looking for a friend.”

He put his forehead in his free hand. “It sounds so stupid when you say it out loud.”

She put her head on his shoulder. “Maybe a little.” She smiled.

“What should I do, Ruth?”

“You did tell me to not let you do anything stupid…”

“I feel like there's a ‘but’ coming.”

“ _But_ , and as much as I'd like to have you, pardon, all to myself, you need a friend, David, and, sorry, yes, you need a project. You're, no, dangerous when you're restless.”

“Even if this is a stupid project?” He asked. “And a stupid choice of friend.” He muttered.

“I think as long as you're _careful_ , sorry, and don't let Daken get into your head - figuratively, no, speaking - I'd say go for it.” She kissed him on the cheek. “You're going to do it anyway, no matter what I say.”

David scratched the back of his head. “Fuck, ain't that the truth.” He muttered sheepishly.

“Besides, it hurts me to see you so lonely, yes. You project it, did you, pardon me, know that? It comes off of you in waves.”

“Really? God, I'm sorry my misery is so obvious, Ruth, I never wanted to burden you with that.”

“I don't mind. It's especially obvious when I, no, sorry, get inside your head. Speaking of, do you mind if I, yes, come in..?”

“Oh, of course. Sorry it was blocked off, I was doing a bit of renovation with my dad, didn't want anyone hopping in and obstructing things.”

“I understand.” Ruth said, sitting in one of the chairs in the newly built safe space. “This is nice.” She said.

“My dad chose the fabric.” He said, sitting in the other chair. “He said something about it being very expensive.”

“Well it’s certainly indicative of its, pardon, quality.” She looked around the room (in her own, sightless way). “It’s a little, sorry, sparse though, isn’t it.”

“Aye, it’s a work in progress.” He settled into his seat. “It serves its purpose though. It’s comfy and it keeps me safe.”

“Mm.” Ruth hummed, settling into her seat. “So, do you have a plan?”

“With Daken or with the room?”

“With Daken."

“I was hoping you were asking about the room.” He sighed. “I have the beginnings of a plan. Ideas, fragments, pieces. I want to be honest with him, you know? I don’t want to play mind games, though I know that’s what he’ll want to do.”

“Mh-hm.” Ruth said, leaning toward David, putting her chin in her hand.

“So I need to establish immediately that I come in peace. Let bygones be bygones, I want to be friends. So if I want to accomplish all of that, I’ll need to be pretty honest, naked, _raw_ in front of him - mentally speaking of course - which is a dangerous position to be in.”

“Yeah.”

“So, and I guess this is contradicting the no mind games thing a bit, but in order to be safe, and for this to work as effectively as it can, I’ll need to put him on my level. Make _him_ honest and naked and raw - again, mentally speaking - but not in a way that’s forceful or invasive or uncomfortable.”

“So how are you going to do that?”

“I’ve no bloody clue.” He leaned back in his chair. “But I’m working on it.”

Ruth smiled, and quickly as she could hopped from her chair to David’s, positioning herself on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. David started a bit. She met his lips with hers. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

David smiled, planting another kiss on her lips, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I don’t know what I’d do without you to affirm my awful ideas.”

They kissed again. “They’re not awful, just... _special_.”

David laughed and they kissed again. And again and again and again…

 

 

Ruth rolled onto the carpeted ground, breathing heavily. David lay next to her, equally out of breath. They turned toward each other, grinning wildly. After a few seconds, David looked up at the ceiling. “Mind sex...is the best sex.” He said between breaths.

Ruth ran a finger down David’s heaving chest. “It allows...for a certain...yes, pardon, _inventiveness_ ,” She said, breathing heavily as well.

David let out an airy laugh and turned his head back toward Ruth, his eyes gliding up and down her body. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re so beautiful.” He said.

Her smile widened, and she pressed David’s hand to her head, her warm cheek heating his skin. “You’re not so, yes...bad yourself.”

David laughed. “You can be...so cheesy sometimes...you know that?”

“Not _nearly_...as cheesy as you.”

David stared at Ruth’s blindfold - the one piece of clothing that managed to stay on - at the slightly sunken area where her eyes would be. Neither of them ever wanted to move from that spot, so they stayed there until their breathing slowed and their skin cooled and the fire in their minds began to lessen. Finally, Ruth squeezed David’s hand and gave him a kiss on the forehead, then slowly moved to get up. David followed behind her.

“So,” David said as he pulled on his boxers, “how are your classes?”

Ruth laughed as she put on her bra, “Where is this coming from?”

David shrugged, pulling on his sweatpants, “Dunno, just realized we’d been talking all this time and I never asked anything about you and I felt like a twat.”

Ruth laughed again, slipping on her shirt. “Not much exciting, pardon, has been going on with me recently. There’s, sorry, not much to talk about.”

David pulled his t-shirt over his head. “You’re just being modest. C’mon, haven’t the X-Men dragged you anywhere recently?”

She gave David a lopsided grin as she put on her underwear. “Well…"

“I knew it!”

“There was this, yes, sorry, thing with the Cuckoos…” She began as she pulled up her jeans.

David chuckled, “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

The two slowly migrated back to the chairs as Ruth told her story. While he was listening, David tried summoning palatable tea out of the table. Failing that, he tried with coffee to slightly greater success.

“…so it turns out there were originally, yes, _five_ of them.”

“Really? Three is bad enough, but _five_?”

“Yes, they, sorry, died.”

“Oh, now I feel like an arse.” David muttered, taking a rueful sip of his bitter, grainy coffee.

“You’re fine. It’s not like, pardon, any of us stay dead long anyway.”

“That’s true, but it’s not true for all of us.” He said solemnly.

Ruth shook her head. “Let’s not, sorry, get caught up on the negative stuff. Anyway…”

Ruth continued her story, and David hung on her every word. He managed to gulp down his entire cup of coffee. Ruth took one sip, set it down, and didn’t pick it up again. David didn’t blame her.

“...so _I_ ended up having to stand in for the, yes, Cuckoos, and even Professor Frost was, sorry, impressed. She said so.” Ruth beamed with pride.

“So _you_ are more capable than three telepaths combined.”

“Well, it sounds more impressive when you put it like that.” She said somewhat modestly, but her grin didn’t falter.

David matched her smile. It was rare to see Ruth confident in herself. She was so much more powerful and brilliant than she could ever imagine, and no matter how much David told her, she never seemed to be able to get that through her head. He was incredibly happy to see that, for once, she was able to prove to herself that she was exceptional. “You saved the day, that’s bloody impressive, you have every right to be proud.”

Ruth laughed, and opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly a familiar voice interrupted her. “David.” It said sternly.

David rolled his eyes. “What is it, dad?” He asked, knowing exactly why his father had interrupted his time with Ruth.

“You know you’re supposed to be in your room.” Professor Xavier’s figure materialized in the room. Ruth’s smile disappeared.

“I just wanted to get some air.” He said, both in the real world and in his head.

“David…”

“Like I said, you lost the authority to tell me what to do a long time ago.”

“Please, don’t make me have Megan come and get you.” Xavier said reasonably.

David let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine.” He relented. “You mind bringing Polimeter to me?”

“Of course.”

Almost immediately, the little yellow alter was placed in front of him. He sunk his hand into her skull. “Let’s go, Ruth.” He said in the real world. It was now dusk. The last remnants of the sun were setting over the water. He squeezed her hand (they were still intertwined), and in an instant, they were back in his room.

“Thank you, David.” Xavier’s mental projection said.

“Alright, can you bugger off now?”

Silently, Xavier’s projection disappeared from David’s brain.

“You know I’m not going to listen to him, right?” He asked Ruth as he plopped himself down on his bed.

“I wouldn’t expect anything, sorry, less from you, David.” She smiled warmly, sitting down next to him.

“I’m sorry he barged in like that.”

“It’s alright, it wasn’t your fault.” She wrapped her arm around his. “You know he’s just, yes, trying to be a good father. He’s trying to protect you.”

“Protect _me_ or protect others _from_ me?”

“Protect _you_.” She said. “He cares deeply for you, no, that’s something to cherish.”

David was painfully reminded of Ruth’s orphaned past. “I’m sorry Ruth, I’m acting like an angsty little teenage twat. It’s just...his version of ‘protecting’ me hasn’t always been the best, you know?”

“I know, you’ve told me.” She gestured around the room. “But this seems like quite a bit of, sorry, progress, don’t you think?”

“Aye, it’s better than heavy sedatives and around-the-clock restraints.”

She rubbed his arm. “He’s _trying_ now. That’s something to, pardon me, applaud.”

“Now, after, what, seventeen years of my life?” He sulked. “Agh, there I am doing it again!”

“Doing what?”

“Being angsty.”

“It’s alright, everyone has a right to be angsty sometimes.” She smiled. “ _Especially_ the X-Men, pardon. Our lives are like one big soap opera.”

“Mm.” David grunted. “I wouldn’t exactly consider myself an X-man.”

“Well I certainly consider _myself_ , sorry, an X-Man.” Ruth retorted. “So you’re X-Men, yes, no, adjacent. In more ways than one.”

“Suppose…” David mused, staring down at his feet as he listlessly kicked them in the air.

“Hey!” Ruth jumped off the bed. “Wanna play Mario Kart? I bet I can beat you with that, sorry, blindfold on!”

David smiled. He knew Ruth was trying to make him feel better. “We’re on a Nintendo stint today, aren’t we?” He said as he got up. “And I bet I can beat you even with the blindfold on.”

“That is if we can navigate the menu screens.” Ruth sang as she waltzed over to the bean bag.

They both took a seat, and David wrapped the t-shirt around his eyes. Indeed, they found they had great difficulty navigating the menu screens, to the point where David had to peek under his blindfold just to get through. Again, Ruth, with her minor advantages, was able to defeat David in most of the races, but both of them found it difficult to simply get to the finish line. They kept running into walls or falling off the ledge. Still, they both got incredibly invested in the game. David forgot his worries and angst, and they spent the next several hours having fun and falling off ledges.

Eventually, however, Ruth paused the game. “What time is it?” She asked.

David lifted up his blindfold and looked at the clock. “Twelve twenty-three.” He said reluctantly.

“Shoot.” Ruth said, putting the controller down. “I have class tomorrow, or, sorry, pardon me, today. I better, sorry, no, get going.” She got up and gave David a kiss. “I had a great time today. Will I, pardon, see you tomorrow?”

“Dunno, depends how the plan goes. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Alright.” She started walking toward the door. “Good night, David.”

“Night.” He said. There was a pause as David tossed something around in his mind, then, “Ruth!”

“What?” She asked, turning around, halfway through the door.

“I love you.”

She smiled. “I love you too.” And with that, she left, leaving David sitting, lovestruck, his heart pounding, a stupid, wild grin on his face.

 

 

The next morning, David’s thumb hovered over the little green call button. Would she even want to hear from him? She had an important job, she was probably pretty busy. Maybe he shouldn’t call her. No. He needed to make this call. Not just for the sake of calling her (which he should probably do more often (hell, she should call _him_ more often, though he understood why she didn’t, it was like she said, they were from different worlds)), but because he had a very important question. Something that’d been nagging at him ever since his encounter with Daken.

He took a deep breath, pressed the call button, and put the phone up to his ear. It rang one time, two times, three times, four- “Hello?”

“Mum?” He said weakly.

“David?” She said with a start.

“Hey mum.”

“David, what, um…” She fumbled. “How are you?”

“I’m doin’ good, mum. How are you?”

“Fine, I’m doing fine.” There was a moment of silence between them, then, “I’m sorry to be crass, David. It really is good to hear from you, but is there a reason why you called?”

“Yeah, um…” He scratched the back of his head. “So, you know how I erased myself from existence and then came back basically creating an alternate reality in which you died?” He grimaced, he knew his mom didn’t like hearing about that kind of thing.

“Yeah...why?”

“Well, I only told the part about you dying to you, dad, and my girlfriend. But, uh, somebody referenced it to me. Do you know Daken, Logan’s son?”

“Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Yeah, well, he, uh, knows about it, and I was just wondering if you knew...why that was?”

“I’m sorry, David. I have no idea.”

“I asked the two of them about it earlier this morning, you know, telepathically, and they didn’t know either. I thought you’d appreciate a phone call over the...mind stuff.”

“Yes I do, thank you David.” There was another long period of silence. “So-”

“So um-”

“No you go-”

“No you-”

There was uncomfortable laughter from both sides of the telephone, followed by another short period of silence.

“It was nice talking to you David, but I have to get back to work.”

“I...I understand.”

“Goodbye, David.”

“...Bye mum.”

There was a click as the other end of the line hung up. David held the phone to his ear for a couple seconds, then slowly lowered it onto his lap. He took a deep breath, and wiped away the tear that fell from his eye. “Alright,” he said, cracking his knuckles, “get yourself together, David. Time to enact your master plan.” He said sardonically. “Note to self,” he muttered, “be more confident about your plan.”

Concentrating, he reached out telepathically, avoiding all the psychic traps that lay between him and his target. Finally, he reached the mind he was looking for.  _Daken_. He called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not sponsored by Nintendo.


	5. Chapter 5

Daken tried to keep his composure as he suddenly found his consciousness teleported to the Qortex Complex, but nonetheless found himself taken aback for the mess that constituted David’s brain.

David was perched on a small, empty ledge, looking out into the distance. “Hello, Daken.” He said.

“What am I doing here?”

“Take a seat.” David patted the spot beside him.

Daken felt a wave of emotions; anger, vexation, an overwhelming desire to exact retribution, but more than anything he was overcome with curiosity (finally, something to alleviate the boredom), so Daken perched himself on the ledge next to David.

“You know, the first thing I ever learned to do was absorb people into my mind.” David said. “It was a bloody disaster, had to call in Professor Xavier to get me under control. That was when he learned he was my dad.” He let out a long, wistful sigh. “To get to it, and at the risk of sounding horribly, horribly cliched,” David said, “you and I aren’t so different.”

“That’s a load of bullshit.” Daken derided.

“I’m serious.” David countered. “We both have weird mutant hair, our names both start with D. A. and have five letters…”

Daken let out a derisive chuckle.

“...we both have very famous mutant fathers who were incredibly distant from us resulting in an acquisition of serious daddy issues, and we’re both serious mental health liabilities.”

“Your point being?”

“I’m getting there.” David said. “Tell me, do you ever feel lonely?”

Daken smirked, “You’re the mind reader. You tell me.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

Daken was silent for a few moments. Then he scoffed. “Yes.” He said with snark, knowing David could just read his mind anyway, “Yes, I do feel lonely. Is that what you want to hear?”

“Yes, it is.” David replied. “I feel lonely too. Constantly.” David turned to face Daken. “I’ve been having a change of heart lately. I used to hate you. I bloody despised you. Thought you were evil.”

Daken let out a little snort.

“But then I realised, you’re like me. You’re...broken, for lack of a better term.”

“I’m not broken.” Daken instantly retaliated.

“You’re a psychopath, yeah? You don’t feel empathy.”

“Correct."

“Do you want to?”

“Do I want to what?”

“Feel empathy.”

Daken paused.

“It won’t be permanent. Just for a while. To see what it’s like.”

Daken thought for a second more before he shrugged. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“Alright.” David placed a hand on Daken’s shoulder. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Daken held his smug little smile for maybe a few seconds before it began to drop. Slowly, soundlessly, tears started streaming down his face. “Stop.” He muttered softly. “Stop, stop, stop stop STOP!” He lurched away from David’s hand, shaking.

David stopped, and gave him a sympathetic smile. “You see why I asked your permission first.” He said. “That was what normal people feel every single day.”

“That was fucking awful.” Daken felt raw, naked. It was as if something inside him had changed irrevocably. The world seemed different, new, uncomfortably so. He felt mentally and emotionally paralyzed. He took subtle, discreet deep breaths to try to get control of his shaking.

“My point here being, I suppose, is that I want to help you, but more than that I want to be friends.” He gave Daken a little lopsided grin. “I know we’re both known for being manipulative bastards, perhaps you more than me. But I promise, no ulterior motives.” He stood up, “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Daken - still shaking - followed David down the ledge and onto another, some little monsters poking their heads out from beneath rocks and crevices. David ignored them, but Daken found himself staring strangely at every single one, wondering exactly what it must be like to be a rogue personality living in another’s brain. Eventually, Daken could hear, faintly at first, a voice, David’s voice, but David wasn’t speaking. “Oh, here we are.” The voice said. “I can hear it.”

David stopped and pointed at what looked like a giant gramophone. “That is where all my innermost thoughts are projected. Since I can hear all of your thoughts, I thought it only fair you hear mine.”

“Oh please don’t think anything stupid. Do you think Daken’s ever fucked Mystique? Fuck, that was stupid. Oh god he has, he’s thinking about it. Stop thinking stupid shit. Can I fix him? I really hope he wants to be friends. Maybe together we’ll be less lonely. Us mutants gotta stick together. Us crazies gotta stick together. God, I bet he doesn’t like being called crazy. This was a bad idea. Stupid stupid stupid…”

David’s face was turning bright red. Daken - shaking far less now - wore his typical sly grin. “Let’s, uh, let’s go back to where we were why don’t we?” David started quickly moving in the opposite direction. Daken stood for a moment longer.

“Please stop listening, I’m gonna think something stupid. I wish I had his hair. Fuck! I can fix him. God, I sound like the female lead in a bloody teen romance. You’re such a fucking stupid waste of space, such a fucking stupid...”

“C’mon,” David gestered, “before my negative thoughts tear me apart.”

Daken smirked and started following behind him. Once they were out of earshot, David stopped and turned back to Daken. “So what do you say,” he held out a hand, “friends?”

Daken paused. This was a very sudden turn for David. Just yesterday, he was cursing Daken’s name. And Daken had to admit, he’d felt the same toward David. But now, all that seemed like so long ago. That moment, that small moment of empathy felt like an eternity. Daken smiled something close to genuine (just because he’d had a new experience didn’t mean he was a new person, not by a longshot) and met David’s hand with his, “Sure, friends.”

“I don’t think these things are supposed to be so official. Feel like we should be signing a bloody contract.”

Daken shrugged. “Maybe friendship just works differently for people like us.”

David smiled, “Maybe.”

Daken was taken aback as that term came out of his mouth - ‘people like us.’ He’d never considered himself part of any ‘us.’ There was just him. His whole life, (for the most part) just him. But in that moment, he’d felt a connection to everyone he’d ever met, everyone he’d ever fucked or manipulated or killed. But more than that he felt connected to the man sitting next to him. All those things David said about their similarities seemed so important. He didn’t feel it now, but it stayed red-hot in his memory.

“Aye, you see my point in the whole empathy bit then.” David said. “So, what do you want to do first, as friends.”

Daken shrugged, “We could go get a drink.”

“I’m underage in the U.S.,” David retorted. “Besides, I thought you couldn’t get drunk.”

“Who cares about your age.” Daken said. “And getting drunk isn’t the point. Not for me at least. There’s an art to drinking. A wholly unappreciated one at that.” His smile widened slightly. “And you _can_ get me drunk if you try hard enough.”

David laughed at the idea. A drunk Daken seemed like an oxymoron. “Sure, let’s go drinking.” He grinned, “Where to?”

Daken grinned in turn, and focused his mind on the perfect place for their first outing.

David laughed again, “Alright, but no fucking the bartender.”

Daken smirked. “No promises.”

“Let me go find Polimeter.” He responded, “See you in the real world.”

“See you there.”

Daken found his consciousness restored to his body. He waited patiently in his cell for about a minute before he was transported into the bar, positioned comfortably on a stool, sans cuffs, plus a muted green t-shirt and a wallet containing some cash in his pocket. David was seated beside him, trying to look natural and mostly succeeding.

The bartender was busy cleaning. It took him a second to become aware of their presence, but when he did he jumped, nearly dropping his glass.

“Hello Ben,” Daken purred.

“You-you-” Ben sputtered.

“Don’t worry, we won’t be givin’ you any trouble.” David added. “Isn’t that right, Daken.” He gave him a pointed stare.

“No trouble,” Daken echoed. “Unless you’re looking for some, that is.” He grinned as he leaned toward the bartender.

“I said no fucking the bartender.” David reprimanded.

“And I said no promises.”

David rolled his eyes, “Just give us a drink.”

“Uh...I um...I need to see ID.” He said, still flustered.

David met Daken’s eyes. _You know what to do._ Daken thought.

“You don’t need to see ID.” David said, feeling somewhat dirty for controlling the bartender’s mind.

“Right, right. I don’t need to see ID.” Ben echoed. “What do you want?”

“Give me what you served last time I was here. I didn’t get to finish my drink.” Daken said. “Do you remember what that was?”

Ben laughed somewhat nervously. “Course I do. You’re a hard man to forget.”

“And get one for my friend over here too.”

“Coming right up.”

Daken took out the wallet and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. “Sorry I didn’t get to pay last time. Here’s payment, plus interest.”

Ben smiled. “Thanks.” He said, taking the twenty.

David’s face exuded pure confidence, but beneath the bar, he was fidgeting nervously with his fingers. _I’ve never drunk any alcohol before._ He spoke into Daken’s mind. _What if it fucks with my...mental state._

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Daken spoke quietly but confidently. “If it fucks with you, we can deal with it.”

“That’s not a very comforting thought.” David growled softly.

“So you, you’re a mutant, right?” Ben spoke, looking at Daken. “Those claws, they’re like Wolverine’s.”

Daken’s composure faltered, only slightly, at the mention of his father. “Yes, I am a mutant.” He stated, “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No, no, I got nothing against mutants.” Ben quickly added, placing Daken’s drink in front of him. “And you,” he turned toward David, “are you a mutant too?"

“Yes I am.” David spoke with pride. “The hair give it away?”

“That and the whole glowy-eyed-flying-in-and-teleporting-away thing.” Ben grinned, finally starting to relax. “What was that all about anyway?”

“Mutant business.” Daken said smoothly.

“Very stupid mutant business.” David added.

“It’s over with now.” Daken said, taking a smooth, soundless sip from his drink.

David gave Daken a look. Their business was far from over with. The X-Men were bound to notice Daken’s disappearance sooner or later, and David was still undecided as to whether or not he’d return Daken to his cell, it all depended on how their first little outing went. Daken was well aware of this conundrum, but he acted oblivious to David’s stare.

Ben smiled, eyes alight with curiosity, but he didn’t say anything.

David subtly sniffed his drink, recoiling somewhat at the bitter scent of alcohol. Hesitantly, he lifted the drink to his lips and took a sip, recoiling again as the liquid hit his tongue. Daken smiled at him, clearly amused.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked, “Don’t like it?”

“No I just...don’t go out drinking very much.” He muttered, taking another small sip. He found this one a bit more manageable to swallow.

“You’ll get used to it.” Daken told him, taking another perfectly executed drink from his own glass.

There was a moment of silence between them. Ben turned back around to finish cleaning the bar. Finally, David asked, “So, Daken...what’s your favorite movie?”

Daken laughed into his drink. “Favorite movie?”

“Yeah, just making some friendly conversation. Besides, I am genuinely curious. You seem like an arthouse kinda guy…” David mused.

Daken smirked and thought for a second, “ _Ran_.” He finally replied. “Not exactly arthouse but it is a classic.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s basically Japanese  _King Lear_. You should give it a watch.” Daken took a sip from his drink. “What about you?”

David smiled somewhat sheepishly. “Alright, don’t laugh, but it’s basically every wannabe cinefile teenage boy’s pick for favorite movie.”

“What is it?”

“ _Pulp Fiction_.”

Daken laughed.

David slapped him on the shoulder. “I told you not to laugh! Besides, it’s a good movie.” He said, taking a tiny sip of his drink.

“It’s okay.” He said.

“What do you mean it’s _okay_?”

“I mean, don’t you think it’s a tad overrated.” Daken brought the glass up to his lips.

“‘Course I don’t, it’s my favorite movie.”

“John Travolta’s performance was mediocre at best.”

David chuckled and shook his head. “You’re full of shite.” He took another little sip of his drink.

“How about a more high brow question: what’s your favorite book?”

“Hm.” David thought for a second, tapping his fingers against his chin. “Oh god, this sounds horrible again.”

“Just say it.”

“ _Catcher in the Rye_.”

Daken chuckled. “I didn’t peg you as a typical edgy teenager, David.”

“I can’t help what I like.” David defended. “What about you?”

“ _Ulysses_.”

“Bullshit, no one’s ever read _Ulysses_.”

“I have.”

“Fuck, you really have, haven’t you.” David said, glimpsing into Daken’s mind. “Well, color me impressed.” He said, bringing his drink up to his lips.

Daken downed the rest of his drink. “Ben.” Ben turned around to face Daken. “Another, surprise me, something strong.”

“Sure thing.” Ben said, putting down the cloth as he went to prepare another drink.

Daken smiled at David, he was having a surprisingly good time. “What about TV show, to complete the trilogy?”

“What do you mean trilogy? There’s also favorite video game. Though I doubt you play those much.”

“Never picked up a controller.” Ben placed a clear drink in front of Daken, it had a slice of orange on the edge. “Thank you.” He said, picking up the drink, giving Ben a flirtatious smile. Ben smiled back, sheepish, but flattered. “I am a fan of chess, though.” He took a sip.

“That’s not a video game. Maybe in another universe you and I can play _Overwatch_.” He took another small sip of his drink. “But back to the original question. Favorite TV show…Fuck, I have to say _Twin Peaks_.”

Daken raised his eyebrows as he took a drink. “Really? Me to.” He said, putting his drink down.

“Season three included?”

“Of course. That’s the best one.”

David put his hand up for a high-five. Daken happily reciprocated.

They continued to make surprisingly comfortable small talk. Daken flirted incessantly with the bartender, despite David’s gestural and occasionally verbal protests. _Don’t worry_ , Daken eventually assured him, _I’m just having fun. It’s not like I’m going to take him out back and fuck him first chance I get, as enchanting as that prospect may be._  He teased. David rolled his eyes, but ceased his complaints, acquiescing to simply let Daken be Daken. Besides, the bartender was more than flattered by Daken’s advances. As long as everyone was happy, David decided there was no need to intervene.

David finished his drink, but opted not to have a second, as he didn’t want to risk upsetting the Qortex Complex (just one had made the atmosphere inside the Qortex Complex somewhat hazy) and he found the overall experience of drinking alcohol to be quite unpleasant. Daken, meanwhile, managed to down four more drinks with ease. “I assure you, it’s a mutant thing, not an alcoholic thing.” He told the bartender. “As much as I’d like to get drunk, it’d take a gallon of pure distilled alcohol to get me even slightly buzzed.”

“Then why do you drink?” Ben asked.

“For the art.” Daken said, holding up his glass. “And for the pleasure.” He purred, bringing the drink up to his lips, looking Ben straight in the eye.

Eventually, several more customers poured in and Ben’s attention was divided. Daken, with his plaything no longer giving him his full attention, started to grow bored of the location, and David was growing slightly uncomfortable just sitting at a bar and not drinking. “Let’s get going.” He told Daken.

“Where to?” Daken asked.

“We can just go for a walk, although I’d prefer not to do it in New York; too many people, and too many types who probably wouldn’t be happy to see the likes of us walkin’ around.”

Daken smirked at David’s comment. “Will you teleport us somewhere?”

“Yeah, though I’d prefer we not do it in the bar. I don’t want to be freaking people out and driving away business.”

“Alright,” Daken said, placing some money on the counter as he slid off the stool, “let’s take it outside then.”

David jumped off the stool and started making his way toward the door.

“Bye, Ben.” Daken waved goodbye as he followed David out of the bar. “I’ll see you later.” He grinned.

Ben’s face flushed as he took a break from preparing a drink to wave back.

“The man’s a psychopath, don’t sleep with him.” David called behind him.

“You trying to ruin my chances?” Daken asked as they walked out the door.

“Just want the man to be well informed.” David said as they stepped out onto the busy sidewalks of Manhattan.

“It’s not going to change anything. I've got that cute, naive bartender wrapped around my little finger.” He grinned.

David rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just follow me.” David said as he started walking down the street. “Here.” He said, stepping into an alley after passing a few buildings. Daken followed. Once they were sufficiently hidden from the public, David placed a hand on Daken’s shoulder, and in an instant they were transported to a quaint, paved trail. To the right of them was a thick brush of trees, to the left a field of rolling hills, a collection of buildings could be seen in the distance.

Daken looked around. “A little boring, don’t you think?”

“A little peace and quiet never hurt anyone.” David replied. “Besides, allows for some pleasant one-on-one time.” He started walking forward. “Come on.”

Daken quickly caught up and began walking in step with him. “Besides our little interaction today, I’ve had nothing but ‘peace and quiet’ for the past twenty-four hours.” Daken said, some spite coming off his deadpan delivery.

“Imagine that must be hard for a man like you.” David said, ignoring his tone. “You seem like the type to get bored easily.”

“I am.” Daken said. “So thank you for putting me in that situation.” He said, venom dripping from his voice.

“You’ve killed countless people, so I say for the moment we let bygones be bygones.” David retorted. “Besides, I’m the one who got you out of that situation. Sure, you were trying to form a plan to get yourself out, but from what I’ve glimpsed inside your head, you didn’t have much. If anything, really, you should be _thanking_ me.” He spread his arms out wide, “I’m your deus ex machina!”

“That is if you’re not going to put me back in the cell.” Daken stated calmly, plainly.

“We’ll see how things go.” David said. “So far it’s going great.”

“Thanks.” Daken replied, deadpan. “What exactly do you want from me?” He asked.

David sighed. “I dunno, someone to relate to, someone who I can turn to and say, ‘Hey, you know how everyone hates us for our mental instability?’ and they can say, ‘Yeah, I do.’”

“Mental instability…” Daken mused, putting his hands behind his back. “I still don’t know if I’d call myself mentally unstable.”

“You literally admitted to being a psychopath. That’s ASPD. That’s a personality disorder.”

“That’s not instability, that’s a strength.”

“How many genuine, healthy relationships have you ever had and kept, really.”

Daken thought for a second. “One,” he replied, “maybe two.”

“And how many have you wanted to have?”

Daken was silent for a moment. “Okay,” he said, “I see your point.”

“I think I can help you. And more than that, I think we can help each other.”

“But my ‘mental instability’ still helps more than it hurts. I don’t want to be burdened by empathy.”

“That’s fine.” David said. “I’ll just help with the parts that hurt then.”

Daken looked at David. “You’re going to want to do more than that.”

“Hey, if there is any light for you to see, I’ll help you see it. Of course  _I_ would like it if you were to realize hurting people is bad. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe hurting others is just fine and all us moralists are mistaken. I’ll keep an open mind and I promise I won’t push anything on ya.”

Daken laughed and shook his head. “Your inner thoughts said you wanted to ‘fix’ me.”

David’s face flushed slightly, but he kept his composure. “Aye, that’s just my inner thoughts phrasing things in the simplest way possible. I want to help you have a more...stable life I suppose. In as much as you want one. I think you deserve to be helped - like I am - and excuse the bluntness but I don’t think anyone would bother to do it but me. I don’t think they should just lock you up and leave you to rot. You have trouble functioning in society to the point that it hurts others and leads others to try to lock you up, myself included. I think you could use some help with that functioning part.” David looked down at his feet, he had yet to get new shoes, so one of them still had a hole in it. He'd had to fish them out of the trash. “‘Scuse me for speechifying, I just want to make myself clear.”

Daken scoffed, “And what if I don’t want to be helped. What if I’m just fine with how I’m functioning in society.”

“Well then hopefully we can just be friends.” David looked at Daken, smiling. “We did shake on it. Besides, I’ve actually enjoyed our interactions today thus far.”

“Hm.” Daken hummed. That moment of empathy, that memory, had begun to fade. He was going along with David more out of curiosity than anything. Friends. He had to agree, he did enjoy their conversation in the bar. Besides, David could certainly be useful as a friend. He was one of the most powerful beings in the universe, even if he was batshit crazy.

“Aye, but your pheromones could help me. Together, we could wrangle my personalities and maybe get some control over my powers without the need for intrusive psychics.”

“Would you mind getting out of my head? I’d like some privacy in my own brain.”

“I don’t trust you that much, not yet.”

“Really? I’m hurt. I thought we were friends.” Daken said sardonically.

David laughed. “Hopefully, one day, I won’t feel the need to babysit your thoughts. But for now I wanna keep an eye on you. My goals may be naive and idealistic, but I’m certainly not.”

“Hmpf.” Daken pouted facetiously, crossing his arms. “It seems no one will let me have my freedom.”

“For good reason, may I remind you.”

“Yes, my ‘mental instability.’” He said. “Well, it seems like they let you have your freedom, despite your psychiatric shortcomings.”

David chuckled sullenly. “They don’t let me have my freedom. I have it in spite of them. If most of the X-Men had their way, I’d be locked up in a cell right next to you, albeit one with much greater security.”

“It must’ve been pretty easy for your father to get you out of that situation.” Daken teased.

David sighed, it was only a matter of time before they brought up their dads. Luckily, David wasn’t feeling quite as volatile as he was during their last interaction. He was more than prepared for this subject. “Aye, I have a nice room in the mansion. Fully furnished. Hidden from the public. With reinforced walls and the ability to be locked from the outside.” He smiled to himself. “My dad wants me to be in there right now, but I have better things to do. I put up a psychic block so he can’t bother me.”

Daken grinned. “Look at you rebelling. We may get along after all.”

“I’d say we’re getting on pretty well right now.”

“Perhaps…” Indeed, it had been a while since Daken had a conversation this pleasant, non-combative, and genuine with anyone.

“That’s good to hear.” David said. “Well, good to hear from eavesdropping in your mind.”

“Hm.” Daken grunted. “So, to address the little pink elephant in the room, you hold my fate in your hands. It’s up to you whether I’m returned to my cell or not.”

“Correct.”

“So isn’t it in my best interests to behave? To act like your friend so you’ll let me loose? What reason do I have to act genuine?”

“Well it’s a good sign that you brought that up, but maybe that’s what you’re going for.” David grinned. “No, my decision isn’t based on your actions. It’s more based on my ability to install a psychic tracker in your brain. Which I’ve already done.”

Daken stopped walking. David took a few steps before he realized and turned around. “That’s not very friendly of you.” Daken said.

“It’s necessary for your freedom. What would you rather be, stuck in a little cell with cuffs over your hands and nothing to do, or free with the whole world at your fingertips and a little bugger’s psychic tracker stuck in your brain?”

“I’d rather have neither.” Daken said, crossing his arms.

“Well you got one, so you might as well accept it. Besides, now you know you won’t have to try to act a certain way to gain your freedom. Your freedom is guaranteed, albeit with some constraints.” David gestured for them to continue walking. “Come on.” He said.

Daken sighed and started walking forward again.

“Look at it this way. This is part of me helping you. If you’re doing something unproductive to your functioning in society, I’ll...intervene.” David said.

“I’d really rather you not intervene.” Daken looked at David. “What’s to stop me from killing you right now?”

“I’ve gotten deep enough into your brain this time that I can knock you out before you can unsheath your claws. I wouldn’t try it.” He tapped the side of his head. “I’ve thought things though this time.”

“Prove it.”

David lifted an eyebrow. “You really want me to prove it?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, you might want to lay down.”

“Why?”

“So you don’t fall over when you pass out.”

Daken rolled his eyes, but obliged, moving to one of the trees on the side of the trail, sitting down and leaning against it. “Good?” He asked.

“Fine.” David said. “Alright, three, two, one.” David snapped his fingers and like that, Daken was out like a light. After a few seconds, David snapped his fingers again, and Daken’s consciousness was restored. “See? I’m not bullshitting you. No mind games.”

Daken got up and walked back to the trail. He felt beyond pissed under David’s control. David had gotten far deeper into his mind than he was comfortable with, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He didn’t want to display his emotions, no, he had to have some control over himself, (and he certainly didn’t want to go into a rage like his father), so he acted calm, controlled, collected, as always. Instinctively, he started projecting repulsive thoughts and memories into his brain.

“I’m not falling for that this time.” David said as he started walking again. “It’ll be so much easier if you just accept your position.”

“This is an unhealthy friendship.” Daken replied, following him. “Very unbalanced.”

David sighed. “I don’t want it to be that way, but I’m afraid it can’t be helped. I know _I_ hate hearing this - though I doubt you do - but you’re dangerous, Daken. Your...mental peculiarities make you particularly at risk for hurting others, and I can’t have that.”

“I revoke our handshake.” Daken said.

“Daken,” David began, “come on, let’s sit.” He ran up to an approaching bench and sat down, gesturing for Daken to sit beside him. Daken sighed, and took a seat. “Look, I won’t dose you with empathy again. You asked me not to, and I’ll respect that. But hear me out. We both know what _I’ll_ get out of a friendship: a connection with someone like me and sorely sought companionship. But what you’re wondering is what _you’ll_ get out of it. I asked you earlier how many genuine, healthy relationships you ever wanted, but didn’t have, and your response led me to believe quite a few. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I understand you. I understand what it’s like to have a mental illness that, in many ways, works against your best interests. I understand, and I accept you for it, and I’m willing to help you. There aren’t many people that can say that. Sure, my interests in many ways work against yours but…” He trailed off into laughter. “You know what, maybe we won’t be friends. No, that simply doesn’t capture our dynamic. We’ll be frenemies.” He held out a hand. “What do you say?”

Daken thought for a second. David had hit at an uncomfortable truth. Daken, despite all appearances, had, at points, yearned for a genuine connection. Like he said, he was lonely. Every time he’d ever connected with someone he truly liked and cared for (in his own way), he’d ended up hurting them and driving them away and he couldn’t completely understand why or what he’d done wrong. He’d had many superficial relationships, he knew how to trick people into liking him, he knew this very well (even the Fantastic Four were no match for his wiles), but anything true had long eluded him. David understood. David wanted something true. David dove deep into Daken’s mind, and still wanted to be friends. Well, frenemies. Fuck, it certainly couldn’t hurt anymore than it already had. Besides, Daken did genuinely enjoy David’s company, and not for the reasons he typically enjoyed the company of others. No, David, somehow, actually felt like an equal, and that was exceedingly rare. Maybe that moment of empathy had left a lasting impression on him after all. “Frenemies.” Daken smirked, meeting his hand with David’s.

David grinned wide as they shook hands. He was worried there for a second. He’d almost scared away any hope for a friendship. Then a whole portion of his plan would’ve been for naught. Plus, that would’ve been a tough emotional blow to take. He stood up. “Come on, we’re almost at the end of the trail.” Daken got up off the bench and the two continued their walk.

“Where is everybody?” Daken asked, noting the lack of any other people walking the trail.

“I was wondering when you’d ask that.” David said. “This trail here is on the outskirts of a ghost town. Those buildings over there,” he gestured to the buildings in the distance, “are completely empty. That’s why I chose this trail, I come here often to get away from everyone and just walk.”

“You’re sharing your private trail with me on our first outing as frenemies?” He pressed his hands to his heart. “I feel so special.”

David laughed. “There’s the dickhole Daken I’ve been missing.”

Daken smiled back. “I’m just glad I can be myself around you, David.” He said facetiously.

David rolled his eyes, but more amiably than exasperated. “I have trouble believing you’re ever _not_ yourself.”

“You’re right, I’m not.” He said.

“So,” David said, “tell me about the Fantastic Four?”

Daken laughed, “What about them?”

“Well, you thought about them when you were having your little moment of consideration over there. I’m curious, what happened?”

“Can’t you just read my mind and find out.”

“It’s more interesting when you tell me. Besides, I get the feeling you enjoy telling this tale.

Daken grinned. “Well…”

The two reached the end of the trail as Daken talked, so they turned back around. Daken’s tale got more outlandish the more he spoke, but David could tell from their psychic connection that every word was true.

David lifted his eyebrows, “ _Reed Richards, Reed Richards_ fell for it.”

Daken’s grin widened, “Hook, line, and sinker.”

Even as Daken told some of the more...morally dubious parts of his tale, David accepted it like it was any other story. He had no qualms about Daken’s character, so he simply accepted him for who he was, and when he told the part about threatening Reed and Sue’s children, he just smiled and nodded as if he’d just told him he’d bought the kids ice cream. The sun shone straight above them, warming their skin. The wind blew in their faces and rustled their hair. They were halfway to the other end of the trail before finally, Daken’s story came to an end.

“So did you ever fuck Johnny?” asked David.

“A gentleman never tells...but yes.” He smiled. “Of course I did. Who do you think I am?”

“Right, should’ve considered.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a little while, saying a couple words here and there. Eventually, David’s aching legs and feet got the better of him, so he said, “I think it’s time we part ways, Daken. Don’t want anyone getting too suspicious of me. Where do you want to be dropped off?”

Daken thought for a second, then replied, “Somewhere in New York, by a payphone.”

“Okay, who you calling?”

“None of your business.” Daken said amiably.

David laughed, he could see in Daken’s mind who he was calling, but he allowed him some illusion of privacy. “Alright. Don’t get yourself caught. It’ll make me look like an arse.”

“Sure thing.” Daken smirked.

“See you later.” David said as he was transported back to his room.

Daken found himself in an empty alley. Ahead of him were the busy streets of New York and, as requested, a payphone. He pulled out the wallet, took out a couple quarters, and put them in the slot, then punched in a number and waited as the phone rang before finally, “Hello?”

“Laura.” Daken grinned. “It’s nice to hear your voice. We should talk.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little bit way too long so I split it in two.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Daken perked up as he heard the door open. His face fell as he saw a young woman with red hair enter the establishment followed by a heavily made-up blond woman. It wasn’t like her to be late. She was supposed to arrive at two. He looked at the clock. It was five till two. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t late. Maybe he was just early and impatient. An older Japanese woman came up to his table and placed a steaming hot cup of tea in front of him. He smiled at her politely, “Doumo arigatougozaimasu.”

“Douitashimashite.” She responded softly, bowing slightly before walking away.

Daken brought the sencha up to his lips, tasting the delicate sweetness, inhaling the flowery aroma. He loved this place. Best tea in the city. Perhaps a bit too faux Japanese in some of the decorations; a few too many scrolls on the wall, a few too many bamboo shoots placed around the establishment. But the tea was one hundred percent authentic.

He placed the cup down, put his head in his hand, and slowly tapped his fingers on the table. He watched the clock, following the second hand with his eyes as it slowly circled around once, twice. He took another sip from his tea and waited...

Finally, almost the instant the clock struck two, the door opened and in walked the young, fit brunette he’d been waiting for. “Laura.” He stood up smiling, arms open.

She walked up to him, and the two gave a familial embrace. “It’s good the see you, Daken.” She said. They uncoupled, and they each took a seat at the table by the window. “What did you want to talk about?” She asked.

Daken smirked, “Straight to business, as always.” He looked out the window. “For once, let’s not get straight to business.” He turned back to her. “Let’s catch up, like a normal family. What have you been up to, Laura?” He asked, taking a sip of his tea.

She chuckled, “What have I been up to...well, I had a run in with Sabretooth recently.”

Daken laughed. “I didn’t know you were one for silly names.”

She smirked. “The superhero community is rubbing off on me. Anyway, Victor, I suppose, was doing his usual revenge thing. Honestly, I don’t even know what he’s after anymore.”

“Do any of us?”

“You were working with him a couple years ago, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, but that was just to piss off you-know-who. Guy’s a prick; he’s a pain in the ass to work with, and he’s ugly as hell. Even _I_ wouldn’t fuck him.”

Laura let out a laugh. “Anyway, I was investigating these mutant disappearances. They had the stink of mutant experimentation on them. And you know that always rubs me the wrong way.”

Daken nodded, taking another sip from his tea.

“So it turns out Victor was behind the whole thing. He was just looking to get the attention of the X-Men, and thus our father. Though he didn’t seem too disappointed when he got me instead.”

“So what did you do?”

“I, as Gabby might say, kicked the shit out of him.”

Daken laughed. “Good.”

“I turned him into SHIELD. Didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of having the attention of the X-Men.”

The Japanese woman came back to their table. “Welcome,” she greeted Laura in her thick accent. “Do you know what you’d like?”

“Yes, I’ll have some matcha, please.”

“Of course.” The woman bowed again before walking off.

“So, are you still going by Wolverine, or have you given that title back to...dad.” He referenced his father with unbridled spite.

“Honestly, I don’t know anymore. Wolverine, X-23, Laura, I’ll answer to any of them. Function over form.”

Daken took a sip of his tea. “How is Gabby?”

“She's doing well. I think she's hit a growth spurt. Her pants seem to get shorter every day, but she refuses to go shopping.”

“Why?”

“She says she likes the clothes she has. I don't blame her, I'm the same way. I've always had trouble parting with my clothes.”

“That's one trait you and I don't share.”

“Yes, well, I've only been able to acquire my own clothing since I...gained my independence, and the same goes for Gabby, so I think it's more a nurture than a nature thing.”

“Mm,” Daken agreed wordlessly as he drank his tea. “Is she still caught on that Honey Badger thing?”

“Yes, unfortunately. Hopefully it's just a phase.”

“You know I just gave her that name as a joke. I didn’t expect her to take to it so seriously.”

“I know, and I’ll never forgive you for it.” Laura smiled. “How about you Daken, what’s been going on with you?”

Daken laughed cynically as he looked out the window. “Well, I met this cute bartender…”

Laura smirked, “Is that supposed to be new?”

“No, I’m just starting out with the normal stuff.”

The Japanese woman came back over to the table. Daken could smell the rich, bitter scent of matcha as she placed the cup in front of Laura.

“Thank you.” Laura said, wrapping her hand around the cup.

“Would you mind if I get a refill?” Daken asked in Japanese, gesturing at his mostly empty cup of tea.

“Of course.” The woman responded in turn, bowing yet again before walking off.

“Now you’re just trying to show off.” Laura said, taking a sip of her tea.

“I’m just being polite.” Daken responded. “But being given the opportunity to flaunt my multilingualism certainly doesn’t hurt.” he said, giving a lopsided grin as he finished the rest of his drink.

Laura shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.” she said in Spanish.

“I’m just proud of my accomplishments.” he responded in Spanish.

Laura laughed and took another sip of her tea. The Japanese woman came over and refilled Daken’s cup. He thanked her in his native language and she responded in turn before leaving to attend to other business.

“So seriously,” she said in English, “what’s going on?”

Daken sighed. “You know David Haller?”

She shook her head.

“You might know him as Legion. He’s Professor X’s lunatic son.”

“Oh yeah,” she said, bringing the tea up to her lips. “Isn’t he supposed to be one of the most powerful beings in the universe or something like that.”

“Something like that, although there seem to be a lot of the most powerful beings in the universe roaming around nowadays.” He looked back out the window. “Anyway, it seems he’s taken a liking to me.”

“A _liking_ ...to _you_?”

“Oh don’t act so surprised.” he said, turning back toward Laura. “So, I suppose I should start at the beginning." he said. "I had just met the aforementioned cute bartender and was having a perfectly good time when suddenly David swooped in…”

He detailed their struggles in the field, and the tribulations that took place in David’s mind. He was just about to tell her about his confrontation with Angel when she interrupted him. “Hold on. Why exactly was David after you?

Daken smiled. “I can’t get anything past you, can I Laura.” He chuckled, and looked into his drink. “Well, there was this MGH cartel that was starting to gain power in New York, and I was bored and feeling especially power-hungry, so I just...took over.”

Laura crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “ _How_ exactly did you take over this drug cartel?”

Daken gave her a lopsided smile and looked her in the eye. “How do you expect, Laura? I killed everyone at the top and threatened any subordinates with a similar fate.” Daken bit his fingernail thoughtfully. “It’s been a day or two, I should check on them, see how things are going.”

 _I wouldn’t do that if I were you_. Rang a familiar voice in his head.

“Goddamnit.” Daken muttered, putting his head in his hands.

“What?” Laura asked, somewhat concerned.

“I’ll get to it.” Daken assured her.

“Okay. So, ignoring your morally questionable actions - _for now_ \- what happened next?”

Daken told her about his capture at the hands of David. “At that point, it was inevitable.”

Laura smirked. “Sure it was.”

“Hey, you try going up against an Omega level mutant and see how it turns out.” he defended amicably. “Anyway, since it was inevitable, I aimed on psychically manipulating him to bring me to the one place whose security I knew in and out. Or at least thought I knew…”

He told her about his entrance into to X-mansion, though he left out the details of his interaction with Logan, simply saying, “I had a chat with our father.”

Laura raised an eyebrow. He could tell she knew he was leaving a lot out, but she didn’t say anything, so he didn’t elaborate. He told her about his plan being intercepted by Professor X. “It was pure and simple hubris, Laura. The hero’s classic tragic flaw.”

Laura snorted quite loudly.

Daken grinned. “Are you insinuating I’m not a hero, Laura?”

“Yes.” She stated plainly.

Daken laughed. “Anyway, the plan involved me cutting off a visitor’s hand and using it to unlock the doors and make an escape. Preferably our father’s hand because, well, you know.”

“You have an unending resentment for him and want to see him suffer.”

“Sure.” Daken said. “But with my claws restricted, I couldn’t do anything of the sort. So I had to come up with a new plan, all the while knowing the psychics were keeping an eye on me and could get past my psychic defenses.”

“Sounds like fun.” Laura said, taking a sip of her tea.

“That’s what I thought. Unfortunately, I was more overcome with boredom than anything. It was _agonizing_ , Laura. Seriously…” He went into exhaustive detail about just how boring it was. Laura simply smiled knowingly and listened. They both knew each other had been through far worse. Compared to their past, it was actually quite pleasant to grieve over the agony of twenty-four hours in solitary confinement. “Finally, I heard David’s voice ringing in my head…”

He described their interaction in David’s brain. His eyes glazed over recounting the experience of feeling empathy like that for the first time. He then told her about the time they had at the bar and their walk afterwards. “And that’s when I learned the little shit had installed a _psychic tracker_ in my _brain_.” He said, tapping his head. “He chimed in when I mentioned checking up on the cartel, so that’s what that ‘goddamit’ was all about.”

“Hm,” Laura said. “Good.”

“ _Good_?”

“As much as I respect you Daken, I’m not oblivious to your misdeeds. For the sake of our relationship, I tend to look the other way. It’s good to have someone who respects you and understands you, but has the will and the means to stop you when you do something wrong.”

“Hm.” Daken huffed. “Well, I guess I have a frenemy now.” he said, finishing the story. “Which is annoying but pleasant at the same time, as the name implies.” He tapped his fingers against his cup. “I do respect David, in a way, which is odd. The only other people I respect are you and Gabby, and I’ve known you two for a while. I guess that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He tapped the side of his head again. “I think his whole empathy thing messed with my brain.”

“Well if it did, I’d say it’s for the better.”

Daken let out an airy laugh, and took another sip of his tea, finishing his cup. “I have some...feelings to work out with David, I guess I just thought you could help me with them.”

“... _Feelings_.”

Daken quickly shook his head. “Nothing romantic. The kid’s seventeen, maybe eighteen. You know my cut off is twenty. And even if he were of age,” he shook his head again. “No, just no.”

Laura took one last sip of tea, finishing her cup as well. She cupped her chin in her hands and looked around the establishment. After what looked like some thought, she turned back toward Daken. “Do you want to come back to my place? You can come visit Gabby. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

“Sure,” Daken said, “I’d love to.”

“Alright, just got to…” She reached into her pocket and began to pull out her wallet.

“No, no, I got it.” Daken said, standing up and pulling the wallet out of his pocket. “This isn’t even my money anyway, David transported it into my pocket when we teleported into the bar.”

“Okay.” Laura shrugged, stuffing her wallet back into her pocket as she followed Daken up front.

“The tea was delicious, as always.” He told the young man at the cash register in Japanese as he paid for the drinks, handing him two twenties.

“Thank you.” The young man said in Japanese, taking the cash and putting it in the register.

“Keep the change.” Daken said as he began to walk towards the door.

The young man smiled at him. “Oh, thank you very much.” he said, somewhat flustered.

“What did you say?” Laura asked as they exited the shop.

“I told him to keep the change.” Daken said in English.

“That’s over thirty dollars in change,” Laura said, walking into the busy sidewalks of New York. “Maybe that empathy thing really did mess with your head.”

“Or maybe I just really like their service.” Daken retaliated.

The two walked toward Laura’s apartment. Daken noticed as they walked that Laura’s back was erect, her muscles were tense, her eyes scanned the crowd, as if looking for potential assailants. This was by no means a new observation, but he decided to comment on it anyway. “You know, you’re too serious, Laura.” he said.

“You’ve told me,” she replied, “many times.”

“Because it’s true. You need to loosen up. Have a little fun.”

“With what, mindless sex? Our ideas of fun are very different, Daken.”

“You don’t _need_ to have sex,” he said. “You could pick up a hobby. Painting?”

She snickered.

“You’re right, that does sound boring.” He tapped his chin. “Woodworking? You get to work with tools, and those claws would certainly come in handy.”

She laughed again and shook her head.

“We’ll figure something out.”

They eventually reached Laura's apartment, and the two climbed up the stairs until they reached her floor. Laura grabbed her keys and opened the door, “Gabby-”

“Sh, sh, hold on!” Gabby said, staring intently at the TV.

“Gabby, Da-”

“I said hold on!”

“Gabby.” Daken said.

As Gabby turned to face the doorway, her face lit up. “Daken!” She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight. He gently reciprocated her hug.

“You’re getting big.” he said. It seemed she’d gained an inch or two since he last saw her, and indeed her clothes seemed an inch or two too small. Her jeans ended just above the ankles and her t-shirt choked her shoulders.

She drew back from him and put her hands on her hips, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re getting tall.” Daken said, ruffling her hair. “Did you think I was insinuating you’re getting fat? We have healing factors, it’s impossible for us to get overweight.”

“Really?” She turned toward Laura, eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because it’s still important for you to eat healthy.” Laura replied, closing the door behind her and walking further into the apartment.

“What are you watching?” Daken asked.

“WWE WrestleMania!” She announced. “Shit, I’m missing it!” She leapt back over to the couch. “Don’t worry, it’s almost over.” she said, her eyes glued to the screen.

“She’s gotten really into that fake wrestling lately.” Laura told Daken as she walked into the kitchen. “For the life of me I can’t understand why.”

“Because it’s _awesome_!” she said. “Yeah!” she yelled at the TV, joined by a chorus of shouts from the television.

A furry little animal suddenly came scurrying from around the hallway and ran toward Daken, stopping in front of him to sniff his feet. “Hey there Jonathan.” He knelt down and gently stroked the creature. “You know I’ve always found it a bit on the nose that you have a pet _wolverine_.”

Laura shrugged. “That’s just how life goes.” She said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“No talking bad about Jonathan!” Gabby commanded.

“Not talking bad, just making an observation.” Daken stood up and walked to the couch, taking a seat next to Gabby. Jonathan followed, perching himself on Gabby’s lap. She mindlessly stroked his fur, all her attention focused on the television. Daken looked at the screen and furrowed his brow. Half-naked muscly guys pretending to hit each other. He didn’t quite understand the appeal, but Gabby seemed enraptured by it.

“Do you want a cup of coffee, Daken?”

“Sure.” Daken said, watching the screen curiously.

A strange, wild looking man with long, greasy black hair pretended to be pinned down by a much more clean-cut, attractive man. The crowd cheered. “No...no…” Gabby chanted, leaning forward, worry in her eyes. The referee counted down; three, two, one. “NO!” Gabby yelled, bolting upright. Jonathan quickly jumped off her lap as she stood. The attractive looking man grabbed a microphone and started making a very moralistic speech. Gabby snatched the remote and turned off the TV, then plopped back down on the couch with a huff, arms crossed. “They never let the cool guys win.” she pouted.

Daken chuckled. “I’m sure if they let you fight, you’d sweep the floor with them.”

“Here you go.” Laura said, handing Daken a cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” He said, wrapping his hands around the cup.

“No problem.” She replied, taking a seat in the armchair, holding a cup of her own.

“So how old are you now, Gabby?” Daken asked. “Twelve?”

“Thirteen.”

“Ah, the teens, I remember those…” Daken said with facetious wistfulness, taking a sip of his coffee.

Jonathan hopped back up on Gabby’s lap. He closed his eyes while she scratched under his chin. “What happened in your teens?” she asked.

Daken smirked, violent flashbacks of his training under Romulus taking place in his mind. “Best not to get into that. Maybe I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“You can’t just tease something and not deliver.” Gabby protested.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.” He repeated, taking a drink from his coffee. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Laura. Their teenage years were probably the worst of their lives, and they’d rather not remember them. They just hoped to shield Gabby from the hell they went through when they were young; a difficult task considering their position in a world of superheroes and supervillains, but they would try nonetheless. “I was just making a joke about the tendency for old folks like me to reminisce about the past, I wasn’t planning to elaborate. You always take my jokes too seriously, _Honey Badger_.”

“Hey, that’s a cool name! I don’t care if you were joking when you said it.”

Daken and Laura laughed.

“You guys are mean.” she said petulantly.

“We’re just poking fun.” he said, booping her nose.

She rubbed her nose, smiling despite herself.

“So what have you been up to, Gabby?”

She leaned back and blew out air from her cheeks. “A whole lotta nothing,” she said.

“That’s not true.” Laura said. “We’ve been doing homeschooling.”

“Agh!” She grabbed a pillow and put it over her face. “Don’t bring that up,” her muffled voice moaned, “not on an off day.”

Laura smiled. “You’ve been doing quite well, Gabby. Although things might be easier if you stopped procrastinating.”

“Not _now_.” she groaned.

“I heard procrastinating increases creativity.” Daken chimed in.

“Ha!” Gabby said, pointing a finger at Laura as she pulled the pillow away from her face.

Laura glared Daken. “There’s not much creativity involved in Algebra.” she said, deadpan.

Daken returned Laura’s glower with a lopsided grin. “Well there can be, if you want to become a mathematician.” Daken said. “What do you want to be when you grow up, Gabby?” he asked, turning back to her.

“Easy. I wanna be a superhero!” she declared, extending her claws.

Laura and Daken exchanged a look. This did not go unnoticed.

“You two are superheroes, why can’t I be one?” she defended, sheathing her claws. She resumed petting Jonathan. He made a strange noise that was somewhere between a moan and a purr.

Daken smiled. There was no one in the entire world that would call him a superhero besides Gabby.

“Because it’s dangerous, Gabby. We’ve been over this.” Laura said.

“Yeah, but I have superpowers!”

“So do plenty of other people that lead safe, fulfilling lives.”

“You mean boring lives.” she huffed. “What do you think, Daken?” she asked forcefully.

He glanced again at Laura. “At the risk of losing my status as cool...uncle? Older brother?” He looked at the two other people in the room for answers. They just shrugged. “Well, being a superhero, you’re under constant pressure and stress, and you end up making a lot of enemies that will be after you at all times so you constantly have to watch your back and the backs of everyone around you. And once you get into this big, stupid superhero world, it’s near impossible to get out. I would heavily advise against it.” Daken, with his lust for adrenaline and general lack of morals, was perfectly suited for the world of superheroes - although he certainly wasn’t one himself - but Gabby wasn’t like him. Gabby was...normal. As normal as someone in her position could be. And that was something to be protected at all costs. Gabby was one of the few people in the world he didn’t want to see suffer, and being a superhero would invite all kinds of suffering. In a way, it already had. He didn’t want her to suffer any more.

Laura smiled at Daken, communicating her thanks. Gabby pressed her lips together in thought. “But I want to help people.” she said. “I want to save them, I want to use my powers for good.”

“Then become a policeman or a firefighter.” Daken said. “And if SHIELD or the Avengers or any other team like that come calling, don’t pick up.”

Laura nodded in agreement. “Trust me, civilian life is far more rewarding than the life of a superhero.”

Gabby pursed her lips, thinking. “I still wanna be a superhero.” she finally said.

Laura looked at Daken and thrust her head toward the kitchen. “You mind helping me with the dishes?”

“Sure thing.” Daken patted Gabby on the shoulder as he got up from the couch. “Give it some thought, kid. You got plenty of time.”

“Alright. You guys go do your adult talk. I’ll just stay here.” she grumbled. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV back on.

Laura placed her empty coffee mug in the half-full sink, and Daken placed his next to hers. “Could you help me unload this?” She asked, opening the dishwasher.

“Sure.” he said, grabbing a couple plates.

“Do you remember where everything is?” She picked up a few mugs.

“I think so. If not I could always search around a little, it’s no big deal.”

“Thanks.” She put the mugs in a cupboard. “So, you know how I said I couldn’t get Gabby to buy any new clothes?” she asked in a slightly lower voice.

“Yeah.” Daken replied, putting the plates in a cabinet, lowering his voice as well.

“You should ask if she wants to go with you.” she said, grabbing some cups from the dishwasher. “Like you said, you’re the cool uncle...brother...whatever. I think she’ll go with you if you ask.”

“Huh.” Daken said.

“Besides, you’re much more fashion forward than I am.”

“I’d love to.” Daken replied as he stacked more clean plates on top of the others. “I could use some new clothing myself. I destroyed a perfectly good shirt yesterday, and I’m not a huge fan of the new one David fashioned me with.” he said, pulling at the muted green t-shirt he was wearing. The fabric was cheap and the fit was loose and unflattering.

“Thank you.”

The two finished putting away the dishes. Laura started cleaning the ones in the sink and Daken stepped out into the living room. “Hey Gabby,” Daken said, “you want to come clothes shopping with me?”

“So that’s what you guys were talking about.” She shrugged. “Eh, I’ll fall for it.” She turned off the TV and jumped over the back of the couch. “Let’s go!”


	7. Chapter 7

Gabby grabbed her Wolverine jacket, and in an instant they were out the door. They made it maybe a block before Gabby took off her jacket and tied it around her waist. “It’s too hot out.” she grumbled.

“We have to stop by my apartment first.” Daken explained. “The X-Men confiscated my belongings, and I’m running out of money with the wallet I currently have, so we’ll have to get my backup.”

“Okay, several questions.” Gabby started. “How far is your apartment? Is the wallet you currently have not your wallet and if so why do you have someone else’s wallet? And why did the X-Men confiscate your belongings?”

“My apartment is...a bit of a walk. You know what, it’ll probably be better if we catch a cab.” Daken stopped on the side of the street and waited for a cab to hail. “The wallet I currently have,” he took the wallet out of his pocket and waved it back and forth, “was given to me by a strange young man named David Haller, presumably so he didn’t have to pay for his own drinks and save the bartender from accepting a purchase from a minor.” He pocketed the wallet. “And as for the X-Men,” he gave Gabby a devilish grin, “let’s just say I got into some trouble with your father...grandfather.”

“We sound like we’re a family straight out of the depths Alabama.” Gabby stated. “Brother/uncle, father/grandfather. You know what, let’s just call Laura my mother, which makes you my uncle, and Wolverine my grandpa.” She dusted her hands. “There, simple.”

Daken shrugged. “Fair enough.” He waved his hand in the air as an available cab approached. The cab rolled to a stop on the side of the road. Daken opened the door and the two slid in. He gave the cab driver an address, and they were off.

“So how’d you get in trouble with Wolverine?” Gabby asked.

Daken chuckled. “You’re gonna hate this,” he began, “but I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“You’re right, I do hate it.” she pouted, crossing her arms. “Why don’t you guys ever tell me anything?”

“For your own protection, Gabby.” Daken replied. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“And when is ‘older?’” she asked. “Twenty, fifty, eighty!?”

“It’s like porn,” Daken said, “we’ll know it when we see it.”

Gabby scoffed and rolled her eyes, but Daken detected a little smile at his aphoristic simile.

Eventually, the cab came to a halt in front of a very exorbitant, modernist apartment building. Daken gave the cabbie the rest of what was in the wallet (which, despite his excessive spending, was still quite a lot), and the two stepped out of the cab. “Wow.” Gabby said, staring up at the building, eyes wide. “You live _here_?”

“On occasion.” Daken smiled broadly. “Come on.” He typed in a combination by the door and led her inside.

“Wait,” Gabby said, “you don’t have your keys.”

“Don’t worry.” he beamed. “It’s not the first time I’ve had to break into my apartment.” He walked up to a pudgy, kind-looking, middle-aged woman sitting at the front desk. “Hey Nance,” he said, resting his arms on the desk, “I lost my keys again, you mind letting me in?” He sent a wave of calming, trusting pheromones in her direction.

She smiled and shook her head. “Again?” she said, reaching under the desk. He could hear the jangle of keys. “Boy, you gotta get your life together.”

“I will,” he gave her a charming grin, “one day.”

She pulled out a set of keys and started walking toward the elevator. Daken and Gabby followed close behind.

“Is this what you call breaking in?” Gabby whisper-yelled.

“Well it sounds a lot more exciting than asking the doorwoman for help.” He whispered back, smiling.

They walked into the elevator. Nance pressed the button to the twelfth floor. “What mess did you get yourself into this time?” she asked.

“I think my boyfriend - well, ex-boyfriend now - stole them as some pithy attempt at revenge.”

Nance shook her head. “Men.” she said. “You should get your locks changed. He could try to break in and that wouldn’t be good for any of us.”

“Right, good idea.” he said. “Would you mind talking to Carol about that? I’ll pay upfront.”

“Sure thing.” Nance said. Suddenly, she turned to Gabby, as if just realizing she was there. “Excuse my manners, I haven’t asked who your little guest is!”

“Oh, this is-”

“Gabby!” she announced, thrusting out her hand. “I’m his niece.”

Nance grabbed Gabby’s hand and shook it gently. “Well it’s nice to meet you Gabby, I’m Nancy, but you can call me Nance. I’m sure you’ve picked up on that by now.”

“Nice to meet you too, Nance!” she said, smiling wide.

The elevator dinged as they reached the twelfth floor and the doors opened up. Nance led them out into the hallway and towards Daken’s apartment. Gabby took in the sights. Everything was so sleek and stylish. It was impressive, but she had to say she preferred her and Laura’s apartment building. It was much more homey.

“Here you are.” Nance said, unlocking the door and opening it slightly. “Now no losing your keys again, I can’t promise I’ll have the patience to keep opening the door for you.”

He flashed her that same charming grin. “I’ll try,” he said as he walked into his apartment. “No promises.”

Nance laughed and shook her head as she walked away.

“She was nice.” Gabby said as they entered the apartment. “Very mom-like...Woah.” she exclaimed looking around the room.

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess.” Daken explained.

“And that’s a bit of an understatement.” Gabby retorted.

The apartment was strewn with empty to half-empty bottles of liquor of all shapes and sizes. There were an abundance of pills and powders - just as varied as the bottles - scattered all over the room. Candles, vases, and various other knick-knacks were knocked to the ground, some shattered and broken. The furniture was dirty and askew.

“Stay by the doorway, I don’t want you getting any glass in your shoes.” Daken said.

“Uh-huh.” Gabby replied, eyes wide, taking in the apartment.

“Don’t do drugs, Gabby.” Daken warned as he made his way to a dresser on the other side of the room. “They won’t affect you anyway.”

“Then why do you have every kind of drug imaginable strewn across your apartment?”

He turned briefly to face her. “For guests.” he grinned. He turned back toward the dresser, opening a drawer, searching briefly inside, then closing it and opening another. “I had a...let’s call it a party a couple days ago and things got a little wild.”

Gabby crossed her arms. “So you had a drug orgy.”

He smiled back at her again, “You’re smart, you know that?”

Gabby smiled satisfactorily. “I know.”

“No need to get cocky.” Daken replied, rummaging through the drawers.

“You brought it up.” Gabby retaliated.

“Ah! Here we are!” He triumphantly held a slick, black credit card in his hand.

“Great. Can we go now?”

“Absolutely.” Daken said, quickly making his way to the door.

He closed the door behind him and the two made their way back to the elevator. “You know, this wallet is actually pretty nice.” he said, holding it up in the air. “Pure leather.” he observed, giving it a flick. “I think I’ll keep it.” He put his credit card inside the wallet and put the wallet in his pocket.

They rode down the elevator and waved goodbye to Nance as they exited the building. “Where to now?” Gabby asked.

“Follow me.” Daken said, quickening his pace somewhat. Gabby had to near double her pace to keep up, but she managed. “Tell me Gabby, have you ever worn anything _designer_?”

“Can’t say I have.” she responded.

“Well then, you’re in for a treat.” he grinned.

“Sounds kinda pretentious.” she said.

“Nonsense.” Daken retorted. “There’s nothing pretentious about looking good.”

The two were walking in a fairly high end part of town, a part of town Gabby wasn’t particularly familiar with. People walked around in extravagant clothes with expensive purses. Gabby noticed they all seemed to have a certain strut to them, like they wanted the world to see how superior they were. She noted for perhaps the first time that Daken moved with the same kind of countenance.

Eventually they reached a very small shop painted a deep maroon lined with ornate decorations bordered with gold. “Here we are.” Daken said. He opened the florid glass door and gestured for Gabby to step inside. “Ladies first.”

“Don’t call me a lady.” Gabby asserted as she walked through the door.

The store was much larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. The carpet was a cool gray and the walls were lined with baroque decorations. The place was packed with an assortment of clothes hanging delicately from hangers. Mannequins were placed around the establishment displaying a variety of clothing.

“Marcy?” Daken called, walking down the small flight of stairs into the store. “Marcy?” A decent smattering of customers were walking around, perusing the products. “Where is she?” He muttered.

Suddenly, an attractive, middle-aged woman came out from the back. She had silver hair that framed her face and wore a sleek, black dress that hugged her figure. “Daken!” she grinned, arms open. Daken walked up to her and met her embrace. They kissed lightly on on the cheeks. “It’s so good to see you.” she said, stepping back and holding his hands.

“Marcy,” Daken replied, smiling, “it’s been too long.”

“I’m sorry to be the stereotypical fashion designer, but _what_ are you wearing?” She asked, looking him up and down.

“I lost my shirt, had to make do with a borrowed one.”

“Lost your shirt, eh?” She smiled knowingly. Then she stepped back, finally releasing hands with Daken after what Gabby counted to be far too much time. “And who’s this?” she asked, looking down at Gabby.

“This is my niece-”

“Gabby!” she grinned, thrusting out her hand. “Nice to meet you!”

“Well it’s nice to meet you too.” Marcy said, giving Gabby’s hand a gentle shake.

“As you can see, Gabby is in dire need of new clothes.” Daken said.

“Yes, I can see…” she mused, stepping back and rubbing her chin. “What are exactly are you looking for?”

“Something...sporty?” Daken suggested, looking at Gabby for conformation.

“Sure, something sporty.” Gabby agreed. “Though I’m willing to experiment!” She beamed eagerly at Marcy. “Can I try on a bunch of stuff and you can sit there and judge me, just like in the movies?” she asked excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”

Marcy gave a haughty laugh. “I like her!” she said. “Of course you can do that. Do you mind if I join you? That sounds like fun!”

“Sure!” Gabby said. “I don’t know anything about fashion, so you two can pick out the clothes and I can try them on.”

Daken chuckled. “Alright.”

“What are your sizes, sweetheart?” Marcy asked.

Gabby put a finger up to her lip. “Uhhh…”

“Here, let me take you in back and we can get your measurements.” Marcy said, gently putting a hand on Gabby’s back.

“Okay!” Gabby said, letting Marcy lead her.

The three went in back, and Daken held Gabby’s jacket while Marcy took her measurements. Daken smiled. This was a new experience for Gabby, and he wasn’t sure she’d enjoy it, but she was obviously having a great time. Seeing Gabby happy made him happy; she was one of the few people with which he experienced empathy naturally. No need for an Omega level telepath to force his mind into it. It was often pleasant - as it was in that moment, watching her get engrossed in the world of fashion for the first time - but it was also scary. The idea of any harm befalling her terrified him, even more than the idea of harm befalling Laura (though that also struck fear into his heart). She was more or less an innocent, a child, she hadn’t been marred by the world as he and Laura had. She had the opportunity to grow up into a functioning, healthy adult, and the thought of anything that could hinder that shook him to the core.

Once Marcy was done with the measurements, they went back into the store, but Gabby insisted on staying in back. “I want to be surprised,” she declared. “You guys pick out the clothes, and I’ll just play some game on my phone or something and you tell me when you’re ready.” she grinned.

Daken laughed, “Alright, Honey Badger.” Gabby smiled back.

“Honey Badger?” Marcy asked.

“Inside joke.” Daken explained.

The two split up and spent some time picking out clothes. Marcy went for the more girly, fashionable options while Daken focused on choices more masculine and practical, (although certainly not lacking flair) figuring Gabby would gravitate more toward those. He also took the opportunity to find a new shirt for himself.

“Alright, we’re ready.” Daken called, sticking his head in back.

Gabby smiled wide, put her phone in her pocket, and ran out into the store towards the fitting room. Marcy grabbed two chairs from the back and put them in front of the fitting room door while Daken handed her the pile of clothes the two had chosen. “Jesus Christ that’s a lotta clothes.” Gabby exclaimed as he placed the stack in her arms.

“You’ll get through it faster than you think.” Daken said.

Daken and Marcy took their seats while Gabby went in the fitting room and started trying on the first outfit they chose. “This is so exciting, I’ve never done something like this before.” Marcy told Daken. Daken, holding Gabby’s jacket in his lap, simply smiled back. “Your niece is adorable.” she said.

“Eh.” Daken said, making sure he was loud enough that Gabby could hear.

“I heard that!” Gabby yelled from inside the dressing room as if on cue.

Daken chuckled.

Gabby went through the litany of clothing they gave her, opening the door each time with flare and striking a pose. Marcy and Daken gave their opinion on each outfit she wore, saying things like, “That looks great on you, it really brings out your eyes” or “That’s _magnificent_ sweetheart” or “It doesn’t exactly mesh with your hair” or “It looks a little odd around waist.”

Of course, Gabby’s opinion overruled them all, and though she enjoyed Marcy and Daken giving their take on each outfit, she largely ignored their perspective in favor of her own.

In the end, she went with six outfits out of the ten they chose for her, favoring Daken’s choices over Marcy’s, but only slightly. She went surprisingly girlier in some aspects than Daken expected. Gabby was never particularly feminine, but along with a sporty black tank top and a pair of men’s shorts she chose a frilly, yellow top and a purple skirt.

“How much will these cost?” Gabby asked Daken.

“Don’t worry about it.” Daken responded. “And we’re not paying just yet.” Daken tossed Gabby’s jacket onto the pile of clothes she had in her hands as he slid into the dressing room, a shirt draped over his arm. “I need to change.”

Daken came out wearing a form-fitting t-shirt with a collar that dipped into a slight V. The shirt had a diagonal gradient that went from gray to white. He tossed the old green t-shirt in the trash.

“Oh, I wanna wear one of my outfits!” Gabby said.

Daken gestured inside the changing room. “Be my guest.”

Gabby smiled and ran into the dressing room. There was a soft thump as she dropped all the clothes to the ground. A few moments later she came out wearing the aforementioned yellow top and a pair of stylishly ripped designer jeans. She posed, arms up in the air, legs together, knees straight.

“Looking good.” Daken said.

She tied her jacket around her waist and scooped up the rest of the clothes in her arms. “Alright, let’s go pay.”

Daken and Gabby went up to the register and were greeted by Marcy. “Excellent choice, as always.” she said, looking Daken up and down. “And you look _gorgeous_ , sweetheart.” she told Gabby. Taking a quick look around to make sure they weren’t seen, he unsheathed a claw and neatly sliced off the price tag on his shirt. Watching him, Gabby copied, extending a claw and cutting off the tags on her clothing. “So she’s like you.” Marcy noted with interest, accepting the tags as they handed them over. “Does everyone in your family have claws?”

Daken and Gabby exchanged a look. “As far as we know.” He stated.

“Interesting.” she said, scanning the tags. “Sounds like an exciting family.”

“It is.” Daken said.

They made some small talk as Marcy scanned the clothing and put them in big, chic bags. The collective price was an exorbitantly high number, but Daken handed the credit card over with a smile. “That’s a nice wallet. Is it new?”

“Thanks. It is. A friend gave it to me.”

“Well, your friend has nice taste.”

Daken smirked. “I suppose so.”

Marcy handed the bags over. “Ooh, I wanna carry them!” Gabby insisted, arms outstretched.

“Here you go, sweetheart.” Marcy said, handing over three large bags filled with clothes.

“Thanks!” she said, grabbing the firm, white handles. The bags almost reached her ankles, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“It was nice seeing you, Marcy.” Daken said as they walked toward the door.

“It was nice seeing you too, and it was nice meeting you, Gabby.”

“It was nice meeting you too, you’re a really cool lady!” Gabby called as they exited the store, raising a bag in farewell.

Marcy pressed her hands to her chest. “You’re such a sweetheart.” she said as the door closed behind them. Gabby smiled back at her through the glass.

“This is great!” Gabby said, spinning in a circle, making the bags lift into the air. “I feel like I’m in a chick flick.”

Daken chuckled. “You look like you’re in a chick flick,” he said, “minus the…” he drew a line over both his eyes with his finger.

“Hey!” Gabby protested. “My scars are badass!”

“They are.” Daken agreed. “They’re just not chick flick material.”

Gabby rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” They walked in silence for a few moments. “So,” Gabby began, “when were you and Marcy a thing?”

Daken laughed. “I wouldn’t say we were a ‘thing,’ we just…”

“Had sex?”

Daken laughed again. “Yeah, essentially.” He looked down at Gabby. “Don’t be as cavalier about sex as I am, Gabby. It won’t make you happy and you’ll just end up hurting people.”

“Then why do you do it?”

Daken sighed. “Because I’m...different.”

“Different how?”

“Just different.”

Gabby was obviously dissatisfied with this answer, but before she could protest, an available cab finally came their way. They slid inside and Daken gave the cabbie Laura’s address. Gabby bounced up and down in her seat as they rode. She was obviously very excited about her new clothes. Seeing Gabby so happy lifted Daken’s spirits higher than they’d been in a long time. He couldn’t stop smiling himself.

Finally, they arrived at Laura’s building. Laura buzzed them in, and they walked up to her apartment. Gabby practically burst through the door. “Look!” she announced, smiling wide and striking a pose, bags still in hand.

“Very nice.” Laura said, peering out from the kitchen, holding a wooden spoon. “That’s a lot of clothes.”

“Yeah, Daken took me somewhere _designer_.”

“Of course he did.” Laura smirked, looking up at Daken. Daken smiled back at her.

“I’m still keeping my older clothes.” Gabby asserted. “I’m just also gonna wear these.”

“That’s fine with me.” Laura said.

“I’m gonna go put these away.” Gabby ran off to her room.

“Thank you so much, Daken.” Laura told him, walking back into the kitchen.

“It was my pleasure.” he responded, following her. “Are you making spaghetti?” he asked, smelling the scent of marinara sauce and boiling noodles.

“Yeah, I’m not exactly a chef so there’s not much else I can cook.” She walked over to a large pot on the stove and started stirring. “You mind getting the meatballs from out of the freezer?”

“Sure.” Daken said, walking over to the fridge.

“They should be in door.”

Daken opened the fridge, and then the freezer. “Hm.” he grunted.

“What?” Laura asked.

“I was going to see if you had any ingredients to make proper meatballs, but your fridge seems a little...sparse.”

Laura laughed. “Get off your high horse. I’m making spaghetti the classic way; with boxed noodles, frozen meatballs, and marinara sauce from the jar.”

Daken tossed her the bag of frozen meatballs and she caught it effortlessly. “You know it’s better if you cook the noodles in the sauce.” He said.

“What did I just say?”

He smiled and shrugged. “You’re the chef.”

Gabby and Daken hung around with Jonathan in the living room while Laura cooked the pasta. When she finished, they gathered around the kitchen table.

“What do you think of the spaghetti, Daken?” Laura asked teasingly.

“It’s certainly spaghetti.” he said, putting a delicately twirled forkful into his mouth. “It’s kind of hard to mess up.” he said when he finished chewing.

Laura shrugged. “I’ll take it.”

Gabby excitedly caught Laura up on the events of their time out. “So apparently Daken’s super rich, did you know this?”

Laura smiled. “Yes, I did.”

“As the cool rich uncle, you’re obligated to buy me a car on my sixteenth birthday, and it better be a convertible!” She told Daken.

Daken smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished their dinner and gravitated back to the living room. They talked and played card games until the clock struck twelve. Gabby’s eyes became watery, she started yawning quite a bit, and her words began to slur. Laura kept telling her to go to bed, but Gabby insisted she wasn’t tired. At twelve thirty, Gabby was practically falling asleep on the couch, so Laura put her foot down and told her to go to her room and get some sleep. Gabby grumbled in protest but didn’t resist, and shuffled off to bed.

“Do you want some wine?” Laura asked about half an hour after she sent Gabby to bed.

“Sure.”

Laura grabbed a bottle of red wine and some wine glasses from a cabinet in the kitchen. “I only have the cheap stuff, I hope that’s okay.”

“I’ll allow it.” Daken grinned.

Laura came back into the living room, poured a glass for each of them, and placed the bottle on the coffee table. Daken had slid onto the floor, his back leaning against the couch, so Laura sat perpendicular on the floor next to him by the short end of the coffee table.

“So,” Laura said, “tell me about David. What’s your conundrum?”

Daken sighed. “So you know I have trouble with empathy, right? Well, ‘trouble.’” He put ‘trouble’ in air quotes.

“Trouble.” Laura corrected. “Just regular trouble.”

“Let’s agree to disagree.” Daken said. “Anyway, those _feelings_ I was referencing earlier, after spending some time with you and Gabby, I think I understand them a little more. They’re not quite empathy, but something close. I feel empathy for you guys. Seeing you happy makes me happy and seeing you sad makes me sad. But with David, I want him to be happy, but I don’t feel happy when he does. And for the life of me I don’t understand why. And it all happened so fast. Just yesterday - or I suppose two days ago now - we hated each other’s guts. But David had this sudden turn around and I just...followed.”

“Mm.” Laura hummed as she drunk her wine. “Do you think you care for him because he cares for you?”

“I’ve had plenty of people care for me in the past, and I couldn’t give a shit about them.”

“Let me rephrase this; do you think you care for him because he understands you?”

Daken squinted his eyes and tilted his head in thought.

“Like you said, he went deep into your head, and he still accepts you for who you are. That’s...rare.”

“Hm.” Daken said, taking a sip of his wine. “Maybe. We also happen to have a lot in common, on the surface anyway.”

“You said.” Laura replied. “And those kinds of things really light up the mirror neurons, even if you are lacking a few.”

“David said he’d help with my...he called it ASPD.” Daken took a drink.

“Well that is what you have, psychopathy, sociopathy, ASPD.” She took a sip of her wine. “And that does inhibit your functioning.”

Daken snorted.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just David had an awful lot to say about my functioning.”

“Well, how do you think you’re functioning?”

Daken rubbed the back of his neck. “Great in some aspects, not so great in others.”

“Fair enough.” Laura refilled her glass. “Do you want some more?”

“Sure.” Daken held out his wine glass while she filled it up.

“Do you think David will be able to help with your ASPD?” Laura asked, putting the wine bottle back on the table.

“I think so. I think he’s the only one willing to help. Well, except you guys.” He gestured at Laura and towards Gabby’s bedroom. “But I don’t want to burden you with my mental health issues. You two already have enough on your plate.”

Laura nodded in agreement, taking a sip of her wine. “As much as I hate to agree with you, I don’t want Gabby having to deal with your emotional and physical violence towards others.”

“I don’t want that for her either.” Daken agreed, taking a drink. “But I promise, as long as I’m around her I’ll behave.”

“I’ll drop the MGH cartel thing with you. I’ll leave that up to David.” Laura said. “But I will say this: You can’t just keep fucking or slaughtering people to get what you want. It’s not right. And if you keep it up, I’m worried it’s going to get Gabby hurt.”

“Hm.” Daken grunted, drinking his wine. Before he could respond, a muffled little sneeze came from the hallway. Daken and Laura instantly perked up in the direction of the noise. It was quickly followed by a smattering of quick little footsteps that got quieter as they went along.

“Gabby-” Laura said.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Daken placed his wine glass on the coffee table and went into Gabby’s room. Gabby was laying in her bed, her back turned toward the door. Jonathan laid curled up on a pillow at the foot of her bed. Daken leaned against the doorframe. “How much did you hear?”

“A lot.” Gabby said. She rolled over to face Daken, phone in hand. “ASPD. Antisocial personality disorder. A mental health disorder characterized by disregard for other people. Those with antisocial personality disorder tend to lie, break laws, act impulsively, and lack regard for their own safety or the safety of others.” She read off her phone. “Is this what you meant by being different?” she asked, looking up at him.

Daken sighed, and walked over to Gabby, taking a seat next to her on the bed. “In a way, yes.” he said.

She looked back at her phone. “It says people with ASPD lack empathy.” She looked back up at him. “That’s what you and Gabby were talking about.”

“It’s true, I do generally lack empathy. But you and Laura are an exception.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

Daken gave her a sad smile. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”

“Laura said you kill people. A lot.” She propped herself upright with her forearm. “Is this all the kind of stuff you were going to tell me when I was older?”

“I’m sorry you had to learn about it now, Gabby.”

“It’s okay, I can take it.” she said, but she seemed a little shaken, a little more suspicious of Daken than she was before.

“Psychopathy, ASPD, it’s more complicated than what you read on Google, trust me.”

“I know.” She sat up. “And I know I probably don’t have the whole picture, but,” she wrapped her arms around Daken, “I still love you, and I’m pretty sure I’ll always love you no matter what you do.”

Daken hugged her back. “I love you too.” They embraced for a few seconds longer, then Daken pulled away. “You need to get to sleep, Gabby.” He got off the bed and gave Jonathan a quick pet. “Good night.” he said as he exited the room. “And no more eavesdropping.”

“Good night.” Gabby said back. She smiled at him, but Daken could detect a little wariness in her smile. It felt like a spear had been thrust through Daken’s chest as he closed the door behind him.

“How’d it go?” Laura asked as he walked back into the living room.

“It went alright. It was a lot for her to take in. I think she’s a little scared of me now.” Daken said as he sat back on the floor and took a big gulp of his wine.

“I think anyone would be if they learned their cool uncle was a psychopath.” Laura said. “But knowing Gabby, she’ll get over it faster than you think.”

“Let’s hope.”

The two talked for a couple hours longer and finished the bottle of wine. Daken couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had just punched him in the stomach. Eventually, the clock struck three forty-five and Laura said, “It’s late. Do you want to spend the night? We have a spare room.”

Daken shook his head. “No thanks. I want to get out a little. Clear my head.”

“Understandable.” Laura stood up and Daken followed. The two embraced. “Take care Daken, don’t get into too much trouble.”

“I’ll try.”

They pulled back, and Daken made his way toward the door. “Bye, Daken.” Laura said.

“Goodbye, Laura.” he replied, closing the door behind him.

Daken stepped out into the cool, night air. The city was still bustling, but not as much as it was during the day. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin with a number written on it. He had yet to replace the phone that was confiscated by the X-Men, so he had to find another payphone. Luckily, he still had a few quarters left in his wallet. Payphones were a rarity these days, so it took him awhile to find one, but he managed. Putting the quarters in the slot, he dialed the number on the napkin, thanking whatever deity was out there that this man had given him his number. He desperately needed a fuck. He just had to pray that he was awake. “Hello?” Came a somewhat groggy voice from the other end of the phone.

“Ben? It’s Daken. Are you busy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be taking a bit of a break after this chapter, but not to worry, I will be back.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a week since David and Daken last spoke.

Daken had been taking it easy. He had very quickly wormed his way into Ben's life.

Ben, Daken found, was very easily manipulated. Ben had more experience with women than with men so the idea of a relationship with someone of the same sex was something of a new and exciting experience for him, and the fact that Daken was a mutant was just the cherry on top. He was also rather sensitive to Daken’s pheromones, all Daken had to do was send a little whiff Ben’s way and he was putty in Daken’s hands. Ben didn’t know why he was so attracted to Daken, why he was seemingly addicted to his presence. Those pheromones lit up his brain like they were goddamn heroin, and Ben had no idea Daken was emitting them.

Despite Ben’s lack of experience, he was a _very_ good fuck. Which was good, because Daken desperately needed one. Well, maybe more than one. He just couldn’t get that look on Gabby’s face out of his head. That wary little smile...Plus there was that whole mess with David that was fucking with his head. He needed something to take his mind off of just...everything for a good long while. And Ben was the perfect distraction. Anytime he felt stressed or overwhelmed or the least bit bothered by anything, all he had to do was send a dash of pheromones in Ben’s direction and the two were on top of each other like a pair of rabbits.

There were several problems with this arrangement, however. Besides the fact that having mindless sex was probably not the best coping mechanism. Ben had it in his head that they were in a “relationship.” He’d started referring to Daken as his boyfriend, which Daken wasn’t comfortable with, but tolerated for the sake of keeping him around. Ben, however, had slowly begun to pick up on Daken’s aromantic inclinations. Daken had also been staying in Ben’s apartment for the past week (he'd only gone back to his apartment briefly to get some clothes, pay for the lock change, and get his new keys). He didn’t want to deal with the mess that greeted him back at home, and he wanted Ben’s warm, attractive body at his disposal for as much time as he could have it. Furthermore, he’d been eating Ben’s food and drinking Ben’s liquor and sleeping in Ben’s bed and hadn’t given anything in return besides mindless - although admittedly fantastic - sex. Daken’s constant need for attention was also taking a toll on Ben. He’d started missing work because of Daken and all his other relationships had taken a wayside to Daken’s request to be with him.

All in all, it was not a healthy relationship, and Ben was starting to take notice. But Daken wasn’t ready to leave it just yet.

Daken was sprawled out on a couch, scrolling through news feeds on his newly acquired smartphone. Ben was sitting by the window, smoking a cigarette before he went to work - as he always did - a contemplative look on his face. Daken knew exactly what this meant. The smell of tobacco always inhibited his pheromones, and Ben kept shooting him sideways glances, his eyes filled with thought and growing contempt.

Finally, he flicked the cigarette out the window and stood up with purpose. “You know what, Daken? I can’t stand this anymore. You need to get out of here.” He walked over to the front of the couch, hands on his hips. “I don’t think you even like me. You never want to do anything with me. All you do is sit around and eat my food and fuck me. And I think that’s all I really am to you, a thing to stick your dick in. This was fun at first, but you're a parasite. Your friend said you were a psychopath and I'm starting to think he wasn't joking.”

Daken smiled, and stood up in front of Ben. He wrapped his arm around Ben’s waist, pulled him close and ran his hand behind his head. “Oh Ben,” he grinned, “he wasn't joking.” He sent a strong whiff of calming, lustful pheromones his way and gave him a long, passionate kiss. Then he pulled back, staring Ben in the eyes. “Now go have fun at work.”

Ben stared at him blankly for a moment, eyes wide, then slowly backed away, wordlessly grabbed his keys, and left.

Daken chuckled and laid back down on the couch. It was nice to be in control again.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

There was a bit of suspicion surrounding David after Daken’s escape. Who else would have the power to teleport Daken out of the X-Men’s reinforced cells? Well, it was only very recently and with a great amount of concentration that David was able to get past the X-Men’s defences (if he could’ve done it earlier, when he was first bringing Daken to the mansion, he very much would have), so he was able to feign inability when questioned. And no one could discern any sort of motive besides the fact that the two had recently interacted. David buried his intentions deep, deep inside his mind and, taking a note from Daken’s book, placed some rather explicit thoughts and memories in the way of anything to do with the man in question. And although it made David feel quite dirty, he took advantage of his father’s trust, knowing he’d be too polite to dive that deep.

However, when Ruth heard the news of Daken’s disappearance, she knew exactly who was to blame. Like David, she buried any knowledge of Daken deep in the recesses of her brain. Being an adept telepath, she knew her way around her mind and she knew exactly where to hide things she didn’t want people to see.

In the meantime, David’s mental state had leveled out. The creatures inside his head had quieted and his new safe space had become more secure. It had also acquired more furniture, as well as some artwork on the walls - all chosen by his father, but he had to admit, his father had good taste. His relationship with Polimeter had improved, the yellow, frog-like alter now came at his call. With David’s mental state as stable as it could be, Xavier alleviated his restrictions and allowed his son his freedom.

In the meantime, David had been keeping a psychic eye on Daken. He’d set up some alarms to alert him whenever Daken thought about certain subjects like harming others, breaking any serious laws, or anything related to the MGH cartel. He was aware of his situation with the bartender, and though he wasn’t happy about it, it wasn’t bad enough to warrant his intervention. He couldn’t micromanage Daken’s social life. He needed to choose his battles, and choose them carefully.

David was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, earbuds in, brow furrowed, staring up at the ceiling. _Welcome to Night Vale_ was playing in his ears. One of Ruth’s suggestions. He was three episodes in and he still wasn’t quite sure what he was listening to. It didn’t particularly capture his attention, it just seemed like weirdness for the sake of weirdness - and god knew he had enough weirdness going on in his life - but he stuck it out for Ruth.

He didn’t notice, then, when his father came wheeling into his room. Nor did he notice the first three times Professor Xavier called his name. He was right in front of his bed when David heard him say, “David” in a slightly louder tone than usual.

He propped himself up and pulled out an earbud. “Hold on a sec…” he said as he picked up his phone and fumbled with the screen for a bit, typing in a five digit code and pausing the podcast. “Yeah?”

“What are you listening to?” Xavier asked.

“ _Welcome to Night Vale_. Ruth’s suggestion. Why?”

Xavier shrugged. “I’m just curious.”

“Did you need something?” David asked.

Xavier gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I’m just coming down to see how you’re doing, David.”

“Oh,” David said, somewhat surprised. “You could’ve just contacted me through here,” He tapped the side of his head.

“I thought it would be better if I see you in person.”

“Is there something serious?”

“I just wanted to check up on you, David. That’s all.”

“Oh,” David laid back down in his bed, holding the phone out in front of his face. “I’m doing fine. Things have been a pretty boring actually.”

“I’m glad you’re doing well. If things keep up like this, we may be able to integrate you with the rest of the students in the mansion. You could use a more typical education.”

David smirked. “So you did have something you wanted to talk about,” He propped himself up again, looking his father in the eye. “You know they’re not going to accept me. Not after all the shite that the monsters in my head have done. I have quite the reputation among them and it’s not a savory one.”

“There’s only one way to change that.”

He let out a sigh and plopped back down on his bed. “I don’t know if it’s even worth trying, dad.”

Xavier gave him that same, tight-lipped smile. “Give it some thought,” He gave his son a pat on the shoulder. David placed the earbud back in his ear as his father wheeled out of the room.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken sighed and rolled over on the couch. He scrolled mindlessly through his phone again before letting out another sigh and shifting over once more. He looked out the window. The sun was setting. A pinkish yellow at the horizon graduated into a deep blue. The wind rustled the trees. He sat up and pursed his lips, staring out the window for a few moments longer. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders, got up, grabbed his wallet, and left the apartment.

He strut through the streets of New York, desperately looking for something interesting to do. The wind hit his face; strong, cool, but comfortable. Every now and then he’d flash a burst of pheromones in a stranger’s direction. Calm, anger, fear, lust; it didn’t matter as long as it elicited a reaction, but he soon grew tired of the game. All that menial stuff, the manipulation, it was fun, but it wasn’t enough. He needed a project. He supposed he was like David in that sense. Always needing something to do, something to occupy the mind, some kind of purpose. Although his projects were considerably less...altruistic than David’s.

His mind inevitably turned back to the cartel. They must be in shambles. He’d dismantled the whole operation from the top down, asserted his control, and just left it to rot.

 _Don’t even think about it._ The Scottish accent reverberated throughout his mind.

“Oh shut up.” He grumbled. He was sick of this shit. He was sick of feeling controlled. Frenemy or not, he was not going to let this Scottish fuck neuter him. “Actually, you know what?” he asserted, holding his head up high. “Fuck you.” He swiftly turned around and started walking in the other direction.

 _Oh come on,_ David psychically projected, _do you really have to do this?_

“I don’t have to, but I certainly want to.” He smiled.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

“Fuck,”’ David grumbled, pulling the earbuds out of his ears.

He stepped out of his safe space in the Qortex Complex. “Polimeter!” he called. “C’mon Polimeter, I need ya!”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Daken walked quickly, but confidently; long strides, back erect. It wouldn’t be long before David managed to comb through his mess of a brain and find his teleporter. Obviously a psychic tracker wasn’t enough for him to pull that consciousness stealing trick or he would’ve done it already, David needed proximity. Once David got close, Daken would be well and truly fucked. He needed allies. David was powerful, but Daken doubted he could take down a significant portion of a cartel along with him. The power of a lot of men with a lot of guns was well and truly underappreciated.

He wound his way through the city, taking all the back alleys and shortcuts he knew. His heart was pounding. David could appear any second. Gradually, he quickened his pace. The buildings he passed were getting more run down, more derelict. He was getting closer. Finally, he saw the warehouse in the distance. He started to run, when suddenly-

“I’m gonna have to stop you right there.” David appeared several feet in front of him, decked out in his typical baggy white t-shirt and orange sweatpants, shoeless, his hair like the end of a paintbrush.

No. He would not be governed by this schizo freak any longer. He would _not_ be controlled. He unsheathed his claws and rushed at him.

Quickly, David snapped his fingers, and Daken crumpled to a heap on the ground. David stood with eyes wide, breathing heavily. It was probably naive of him not to expect an aggressive reaction. He’d anticipated something far more diplomatic. He got his breathing under control, then took a few steps back. He couldn’t leave Daken like that. He wanted to talk to him, get this whole thing sorted out. Brute forcing his way into his life was not the kind of frenemy relationship he wanted to have. He still wanted to help him, and just controlling him with his powers wasn’t help, it was imprisonment. It was what the X-Men would do. He snapped his fingers again.

Daken suddenly returned to consciousness. His eyes narrowed, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He quickly got to his feet and rushed at David once again.

“Stop.” David said calmly before snapping his fingers. Daken fell to the ground once more. David sighed, took some steps back, and snapped his fingers again. Daken glared at him, and growled as he charged at David. “Stop.” David repeated, somewhat more agitated, snapping his fingers. Daken fell. He inhaled deeply, took quite a few more steps back, and snapped his fingers. Daken rushed him. David wasn’t sure what he expected. “I said stop.” He snapped his fingers. Daken hit the ground hard. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down at the unconscious Daken. He doubled the distance between them, took a breath, and snapped his fingers. Daken got to his feet and began to charge David. “You’re acting like your father.” David said frankly.

That stopped him in his tracks.

“Look, Daken. No need for violence, alright? Let’s just talk. Like sane, rational, normal people.”

Daken took a breath and ran a hand through his hair. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly gunshots rang out from the warehouse. Their heads snapped toward the noise. They looked at each other, then started dashing toward the warehouse. David quickly fell behind Daken. He grit his teeth, and instantly the two were teleported right in front of their destination. They could hear shouts and screams emanating from the building. Daken rushed inside. David clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. “I’m right behind you,” he said, gritting his teeth.

Inside the building, bloodied and broken bodies littered the floor. Some dead, some still breathing, but just barely. Daken could hear the shouts and gunshots - now far less prevalent than they were before - at the top floor of the warehouse. He sensed three cartel members left fighting as he ran up the stairs. Two. One. As he reached the last flight, a limp body came barreling down the steps. He narrowly dodged out of the way. He looked up, his brow furrowed. “You?” he said, taken aback.

There was a loud patter of footsteps as David’s bare feet slapped against the concrete stairs. Finally, he reached the last flight and joined Daken, breathing heavily, hands on his knees. He was surrounded by a slightly opaque aura, visible only where the light hit. He looked at the top of the flight of stairs. A muscular man in a pure white cloak, mask, and suit adorned with a crescent moon stood, covered in blood, breathing heavily. David looked back at Daken, seeing recognition in his eyes, then back at the man. “Who’s this?” He asked.

“Marc.” Daken replied, not taking his eyes off the man. He smirked. “Last time we met he thought he was my father.”

Marc scratched the back of his head. “I wasn’t in my right mind,” his gruff voice muttered. “Well, I mean...I was in a different state of mind. A really fucking stupid one,” he grumbled.

David reached out psychically. He detected no conscious minds other than the three of them. But when he reached Marc’s brain, he was overwhelmed by the image of a giant bird skull resting atop a body dressed in a pure white three piece suit. A voice rang throughout his head, deep and powerful, _THIS MIND IS NOT YOURS TO ENTER_.

“Agh!” David grimaced, pinching the bridge of his nose, reeling.

“What’s wrong?” Daken asked, just an ounce of worry seeping into his voice.

David pointed at Marc. “What the _fuck_ is in your head?”

“So you’re a telepath,” Marc responded as he walked down the stairs toward them.

“He’s many things,” Daken said.

“What are you doing here, Daken?” Marc asked.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Daken retaliated.

“I was tracking down this MGH cartel. They’ve been causing some problems in the city.” Marc said, now face to face with Daken.

“So you slaughter them. Honestly, I didn’t know you had this brutality in you, Marc. I like it.” Daken purred, grinning slyly.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Marc responded coldly.

Daken opened his mouth to speak, but David interrupted. “He was trying to take over the cartel, but with a good portion of them dead, I don’t think that’s an option any longer.” Daken shot him a glare, but David ignored it. “So are you hostile or did I track down Felix Fielder for nothing?”

Marc narrowed his eyes, looking at Daken, then David, then back to Daken. There was a moment of silence, then he looked down and softly muttered, “No” to himself. Then another stretch of silence. David and Daken exchanged glances. “I’m not gonna-” Marc seemed to be cut off by something. Another beat of silence, then he grumbled something incomprehensible.

David smiled understandingly. The aura disappeared from around him as he walked up to Marc and put a hand on his shoulder. Marc flinched away. David pulled his hand back. “Sorry. Look, I just wanna say, there’s no need to fuss with whatever’s in your brain. We can all act like civil, rational adults here. Talk things out. I’m David by the way. I-” He suddenly froze. His eyes went wide.

“Shit.” Daken growled, unsheathing his claws.

“What-” Marc began, but suddenly the three of them were teleported to the middle of Times Square, then on top of the Sears Tower, then in the center of a cornfield, then several meters below the sea. They had less than a second to take in their surroundings before they were thrust into a new location. They went from China to Pakistan to Brazil to Canada all in a matter of seconds. Daken and Marc were left floundering. David stood uncannily still, his eyes wide, his face blank.

Eventually, they found themselves high up in the air, so high they couldn’t see the ground, all they could see were clouds. They were falling, and falling fast. They were no longer teleporting.

“AHHHH HOLY FUCK!” David screamed, his body no longer erect, his face full of emotion. “WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE!”

“I think it’s pretty FUCKING OBVIOUS!” Daken yelled back.

“Okay.” David said to himself, taking a deep breath. “Okay.” He turned toward the other two. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix this! Daken I need your help!”

And with that Daken found himself once again in the Qortex Complex.

“Alright,” David said hurriedly. They were standing out on a ledge in the Qortex Complex. David was bleeding from a bite mark in his leg, but it didn’t seem to bother him. “We have to find Polimeter. She’s not responding to my calls.”

“Seriously,” Daken said, “you lost control of your _teleporter_?”

“You can reprimand me for this later. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re currently falling to our death!”

Daken put up his hands. “Fair enough.”

“I’ll go that way.” He said, pointing behind him. “Less chance of me getting bitten. You go that way.” He pointed ahead of him. “It’s more populous, but I’m sure you can handle that. Look for an overgrown yellow frog thing. Once you find her, grab her and call out telepathically, we’ll meet up.”

“Aye, aye.” Daken said, and they both went off running in their respective directions.

Meanwhile, in the real world, they’d passed through a thick layer of clouds and could now see the ground approaching beneath them. Daken was unconscious, but David was not and was clearly terrified to be falling thousands of feet to the earth below. Marc, however, was surprisingly calm, his limbs spread out evenly to steady his fall, his cloak flapping in the wind. David tried to edge his way into Marc’s mind, but every time was greeted with a powerful image of a bird skull that pushed him out.

“Marc, is it!?” David asked, turning his head towards Marc, his raised voice on edge as he was desperately trying to get himself under control.

“Yeah.” Marc responded nonchalantly.

“Can’t help but notice you don’t seem too scared right now!”

“Khonshu will protect me.” He said.

“What!?”

“I said Khonshu will protect me. He’s done it before.”

David angled his body, sliding closer to Marc so he could hear him better and didn’t have to yell. “Who’s Khonshu?” he asked, trying to take his mind off their imminent death by making some conversion.

Marc sighed. “It’s complicated.”

David’s heart fluttered as he he looked down at the approaching terrain. He closed his eyes, took a couple deep breaths, and looked back toward Marc. “Mind telling me why I can’t get into your head?” he asked.

“That’s Khonshu. He has dominion over my mind.”

“Oh,” David said as if that made any sense to him.

In the Qortex Complex, David was hastily looking within every nook and cranny inside his broken brain, avoiding the minor demons that threatened him. “C’mon, c’mon…” He muttered desperately, searching inside a crevice on the outskirts of his mind. _Any luck?_ He asked Daken telepathically.

Daken grunted as he rolled out of the way of a blast of fire. He deflected a large set of swiping claws with his own. He was emitting a constant stream of powerful calming pheromones, and while they did have some effect, they certainly didn’t downgrade his search to easy. _Not really._ Daken responded, dashing through a crowd of monstrous alters, looking left and right for the little yellow Polimeter.

“I know it sounds crazy.” Marc said, back in the sky.

“Yeah, a little,” David replied, “but I’m no stranger to crazy.” They’d passed through another layer of clouds. They were covered with a cold, wet mist. “As we speak a mental version of me and Daken are scouring through my mind looking for an alter that can get us out of this situation. In fact, an alter is what got us into this mess in the first place.”

“Really?” Marc seemed surprised.

“Why do you think he passed out?”

“I just thought it was because of the falling.”

David laughed despite himself. “No, Daken wouldn't do that, and if he did I'd never let him live it down.”

“So your alters have different powers.”

“Yeah, being a mutant is weird.” He gave a little half smile. “And you know, you just confirmed a suspicion.”

“What?”

“You didn't ask what an alter was.”

“Oh,” Marc said with realization.

“I was curious when Daken said you thought you were Wolverine, and your response made me even...curiouser.”

“Oh,” Marc said again.

“Hey man, no worries. I get it. I get it.”

Back in the Qortex Complex David was getting increasingly desperate. The ground was fast approaching and Polimeter was nowhere to be seen, nor were any other personalities that could help. At that point, he was looking for anything that could help them survive their fall. Anything at all. _Please tell me you’ve found something._ David pleaded.

The farther Daken went into David’s mind, the thicker the crowd. He opted to run straight through as fast as he could, dodging anything that came his way, scanning the area for the little yellow alter David described. But so far, _Nope, nothing._ Daken responded as he ducked under a laser beam.

“Fuck,” David muttered, upturning a little mental rock in frustration. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck....”

The three bodies fell in silence for a few moments. David chanced a look downward and immediately regretted it. The ground was much closer. He could make out trees, a forest of pines. They seemed awfully spiky. David took another deep breath and turned back toward Marc. “So…” he began, but he didn’t really know what to say.

“You know I don't even know if Khonshu is real.” Marc said.

“Then why are you so calm?”

Marc shrugged, “In these kinds of situations, suppose the only thing you can do is have faith.”

“Hm,” David said, an idea forming in his head. “You know, if you could somehow let me connect with you telepathically, you could help me track down my alter and we won’t have to rely on faith to save us.”

“Huh,” Marc grunted. “I...I don’t know.”

“Please Marc,” he begged, his desperation seeping into his voice. “I know you might rely on faith, but I sure as hell don’t.”

“I don’t rely on faith, I-” He took a deep breath. “I’ll try.” David could see Marc’s mask crinkle as he closed his eyes in concentration. He muttered to himself for a little while. “Yes,” he said a little louder. “I trust him...No, not just because...Because I just do okay.”

David watched him anxiously, eyes wide, lips pressed tightly together.

“Because we’re going to die!” Marc suddenly shouted. “Yes, yes, fine. I’ll do it more. Whatever you want, Khonshu, just let him in our head!”

Suddenly, David felt the shield around Marc’s head disappear, and before Marc could open his mouth to let David know he was ready, David was already in. He made sure time slowed down within their telepathic interaction. They could use every second they could get.

“Oh!” David said, unable to contain his surprise. Inside Marc’s head was an expansive, black abyss, lit only by the light of a large, full moon hanging in the sky. Beneath this moon were four chairs arranged in a circle; three white, comfy armchairs, and one that could only be described as a throne, pure white and decorated with ornate crescent moons. Atop this throne sat the well dressed man with a bird skull for a head. He loomed large over the scene.

Scattered around the area were three other men. One had messy hair, unkempt stubble, and dark bags under his eyes. He wore a light gray t-shirt, dark gray sweatpants, and tattered white sneakers. Scars littered his visible skin. He seemed uncomfortable, continuously running his hand through his hair and refusing to look David in the eye.

Another man wore a newsboy cap and sported an impressive mustache. He also had his fair share of stubble, though his seemed somehow more amicable, more controlled. He wore a rusty red jacket, a muted green shirt, khakis, and brown loafers. He had a toothpick between his teeth. He looked comfortable, relaxed. When he saw David, a large grin spread across his face.

The third man was completely clean shaven. He wore a pristine three piece suit; the jacket, vest, pants, and tie were black, as were his shiny leather dress shoes. His hair was neatly cut, combed, and styled. His body was erect, his hands held behind his back. He appeared stiff, put together, overly formal. He gave David a small, amiable smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

David noticed that all the men had the same face, the same brown hair, the same muscular stature, and the same telltale scar across their left eye.

The rugged looking man scratched his head, “David, this is-”

“Jake, nice to meet ya!” The man with the mustache ran up to David and held out a hand, he had a thick New York accent. David accepted his handshake. “Sorry ta meet under these circumstances, but you know how it is.”

David smiled back, “That I do, Jake, that I do.”

“And that’s Steven,” the rugged man gestured toward the man in the suit.

Steven walked calmly up to David and offered his hand. “Steven Grant. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” he said.

“Pleasure,” David returned as they shook.

“Um, and I’m Marc. You already met me,” the rugged man said. “Sorry you can’t really get into our minds or anything, Khonshu would only allow this much, and honestly I kind of prefer it that way. That’s Khonshu, by the way.”  He said, gesturing to the figure sitting on the throne. “He doesn’t really talk to outsiders.”

“Yeah, he’s kinda shy like that,” Jake said teasingly. Khonshu’s giant head turned to look at him, but he didn’t say anything. Jake flashed him a grin.

“So, what do you need us for?” Steven asked.

“Okay,” David began, “so my mind is like yours, except my alters are all violent monsters that have their own powers and could kill you in an instant and there’s thousands of them. It’s also a lot less organized in there than it is in here. We need to find an alter that can get us out of this falling situation. Preferably Polimeter, she’s a little yellow frog-like thing. If you find her and bring her to me, I can use her powers and teleport us somewhere safe.”

“Sounds like fun,” Jake said.

“Are you all proficient fighters?”

“Yes,” they replied simultaneously.

“Okay, I’m gonna bring you into my mind. I’ll put you all in different places so we can cover more ground. Contact me telepathically when you find her. It might be a little alarming at first, but you gotta get yourselves together quick, or we’re gonna die.”

“We’ll find her,” Steven said.

“Let’s hope,” David said. “Alright, ready?”

“Ready,” Marc said.

David counted down, “Three, two, one.”  

David looked over the ledge in the Qortex Complex. He could see Jake running past his alters on a lower, more crowded level. He sensed the other two personalities telepathically, working their way through his mind.

 _Do you read me?_ He asked the three personalities.

 _Yes,_ Marc responded.

 _I do indeed_ , confirmed Steven.

 _Loud and clear,_ replied Jake.

 _Alright, let’s find her,_ David declared.

As Daken was scanning the ever increasing crowd, he spotted a familiar figure running along the lowest ledge in the Qortex Complex. _What is Marc doing in here?_ Daken asked.

_Helping. Now shut up and keep looking._

_I’m not talking._ Daken teased.

David would’ve been annoyed at Daken’s remark did he not feel they were about to die. He was now the only conscious one falling ever faster toward the earth. There were no more clouds between them and the ground. He could make out the details in the trees. He was no expert, but he estimated they had less than thirty seconds before they made contact.

 _Is this it?_ Marc sent David a mental image of the alter he held in his hands.  

 _Yes! Yes!_ David responded excitedly. _Bring her here!_

_Um...how?_

“Fuck!” David exclaimed. Marc had no idea how to traverse the Qortex Complex. Hell, David barely had any idea how to do so.

The trees were coming close, he could practically smell the pine. Less than fifteen seconds. “Don’t panic, don’t panic.”

 _Okay, I have an idea._ David told Marc. _Hold on tight._ He walked up to the edge of the ledge and called out as loud as he could. “POLIMETER! THERE’S A BAD MAN HOLDING YOU! HE’S GONNA HURT YOU! IF YOU COME HERE I CAN GET RID OF HIM!” He waited for a few seconds. Nothing. _Squeeze her a little harder, Marc._ He requested. “C’MON, I PROMISE I’M NOT MAD AT YOU! I’LL SAVE YOU FROM THE BAD MAN, I SWEAR!”

A few agonizing seconds passed. Then there was a sudden, “Woah!” as Marc appeared in front of him, holding the squirming little alter.

“Oh thank god,” David said with more relief than he’d ever felt in his entire life.

The trees were so close he could touch them with his hand. He estimated six seconds to impact, five, four…

He placed his hand on Polimeter’s skull.

Three, two…

“Mine is the power of…"

Suddenly the three of them were transported back to the roof the warehouse.

“...teleportation!” David finished. He put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. “Oh god, I’m gonna be sick.”

“Well don’t get any on my shoes,” the now conscious Daken said, taking a step back.

“Ooh boy!” the man in the costume exclaimed, stretching his arms. “That was a ride!”

“Marc?” Daken asked, sensing something was off.

“Pretty sure that’s Jake.” David said.

“Sure is! Though I prefer Moon Knight in the suit if you don’t mind. Gotta try to keep at least some semblance of anonymity.” He said. “Don’t think we’ve had the pleasure. Daken, right?” He asked, extending a hand.

Daken took his hand. “Correct. Last time I met you - well, Marc - I don’t think you were around.”

“Was that in L.A.?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, me and the pompous prick were kinda pushed to the sidelines. Weird shit happened in L.A., weird shit…”

“So,” Daken turned toward David, “what the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know,” he began, standing up straight. “I thought I had Polimeter under control. Out of nowhere she just bit me and took over. I managed to kick her off, but then she ran away.”

“You’re a problematic person to be around, David,” Daken said.

“So are you,” David retaliated. “Much more than me, might I add.”

Daken smirked and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t refute his statement.

David let out a breath. “So, what do we do now?”

“I know this great diner. I could throw off the suit, we head down there, have some friendly chit chat.” Jake offered.

Daken raised an eyebrow. “Why on earth would we do that?”

Jake threw up his hands. “We just had a near death experience! Least we could do is cool down over a nice cup of coffee. And if Gena doesn’t give you the best damn pancakes you’ve ever had, I’ll throw myself in the air again and this time I won’t have your little teleporter save me.”

David looked at Daken and shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”

Daken sighed. It was better than sitting alone at Ben’s place. “Alright, I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support!  
> I'm gonna try to get over my commentphobia and start responding to your comments so wish me luck!


	9. Chapter 9

The rain beat gently against the window panes of Gena’s Diner.

It had begun raining shortly after their arrival back in New York, so the three had booked it over to their destination. It was night, but the moon shone brightly through the clouds. Jake held his cloak above them to shield them from the rain as he led them to an innocuous cab parked a couple blocks from the warehouse. As he took off his suit, David noted he had Marc’s face and skin - scraggly stubble, no mustache, flesh covered in scars - but he certainly didn’t have his countenance. His eyes were light, his mouth a constant, amiable smile, his shoulders slouched, his muscles loose and relaxed.

Underneath his get-up Jake wore a white t-shirt and loose athletic pants. He stuffed the suit into the trunk of the cab, then opened the driver’s side door and pulled out the rusty red jacket and newsboy cap David had seen him wear in Marc's mind. “Get in!” he said, putting on the jacket. “Don’t worry, I won’t charge ya.”

Daken and David both sat in the back. “No one sittin’ shotgun?” Jake asked as he sat in the driver’s seat. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Guess I’ll just be up here all by my lonesome.”

“Are you actually a cab driver?” David asked as Jake started the car.

“Kinda,“ Jake responded, “I got a license but it ain’t real, and this cab is privately owned by Mr. Steven Grant. I pick people up though, bring them to their destination. Helps keep an ear to the ground, see what stuff we need to know as Moon Knight and it’s a lowkey way to get us where we need to go to do some superheroing. Plus, it’s just damn fun. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m kind of a people person.” He flashed them a grin. “Steve keeps sayin’ I should just become an Uber driver or somethin’, but call me old-fashioned, I enjoy the cab. Me and her have been through a lot over the years, haven’t we girl.” He gave the wheel a pat.

Jake continued to run his mouth off about his life as a cab driver as the three drove off into the streets of New York, quickly making their way to a more populous - although still quite lower class - area. Daken kept giving David sideways glances and David could detect a growing uncertainty in his mind; not so much nervousness, moreso ‘why the fuck are we going along with this weirdo?’

 _Give him a chance_ . David projected. _Like you said, it’s better than sitting alone at Ben’s place_.

 _I didn’t say that_. Daken responded with annoyance.

 _Well you thought it. And you have to admit, Jake is pretty damn entertaining_.

He was. While he did talk incessantly, his stories were delightful, brimming with personality and humor. David and Daken found themselves thoroughly entertained.

Finally, the cab turned a corner and the three were greeted by a humble neon sign announcing the presence of Gena’s Diner. Inviting warm lights shone out the windows.

“Here we are!” Jake announced excitedly, pulling up to the curb. The three got out of the cab and ran inside as fast as they could to avoid the rain. “Ah, it’s been a while,” Jake said as they stepped through the doors.

Inside, the first thing that hit them was the aroma; a pleasing mixture of fried food, coffee, and syrup. There was a pleasant hiss of sizzling food in the background, interrupted every now and then by the scrape of a spatula followed by a little slap as the food returned to the surface. It was set up like a typical diner, stools surrounding the counter, booths set up around the edges, but there was something homey and magical about it, something special. Patrons were scattered throughout the diner - a moderate amount for this time of night - and they looked happy, comfortable.

“Jake, is that you?” asked a motherly looking woman from behind the counter. She had hair puffed up in a small afro and was wearing a surprisingly clean apron. She threw down her dishrag and sped over to them.

“Sure is!” he grinned, arms wide.

“Oh, Jake,” she said as they embraced. “Honey, it’s been too long.”

“It sure has, Gena, it sure has.”

They hugged tightly for a few seconds longer before they finally pulled away. “Who are your friends?” she asked.

“The guy with the weird hair is Daken, and the guy with the weirder hair is David.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Daken,” she looked at David, “David,” she looked at Daken.

David laughed as Daken furrowed his brow and lightly touched his loose mohawk.

“Aw, I’m just messin with ya. I know who’s who. Boy, I ain’t never seen hair like that in my entire life.” she told David.

“Aye, it’s a mutant thing,” he said, combing a hand through his inhumanly tall hair. “So’s his actually,” he said, pointing a thumb toward Daken. “His hair grows in the middle, but anything to the sides doesn’t get past a stump.”

“At least I pull it off,” Daken smirked.

“Sure ya do,” David retaliated.

“How are Steven and Marc doin’?” Gena asked Jake.

“Ah, you know, they’re doin’,” he replied. “Seen Crawley around lately?”

“He’s been around, comes in every mornin’, as usual.”

“Good to know the old fart’s still kickin’.” Jake grinned.

There was a little ding as a timer went off in the kitchen. “I gotta get back to work, but we’ll catch up when things slow down.”

“Sure thing, Gena.” Jake said.

“And I’ll forget about the whole ‘no shoes no service’ thing for this special occasion.” she said, looking at David.

“Oh shite.” David said, looking down at his feet. He’d completely forgotten about his lack of footwear. “Sorry about that, Gena.”

“No problem, honey. Just don’t forget to bring some shoes next time,” she said as she walked back into the kitchen.

“Here, follow me.” Jake led them to an empty booth in the corner. Jake took the side to the wall while David and Daken took the opposite, with David by the window. “So, I got a question for ya,” he said, looking at Daken. “Well, not me, more like Marc. I wasn’t really around in L.A. so I didn’t really see what was goin’ on, but he tells me that he didn’t give out his identity. You just knew him as Moon Knight. So how’d you figure out Marc was Marc?”

“I googled it.” Daken replied simply.

“ _Seriously_?” Jake said.

“Seriously. You guys have really got to do a better job of hiding your secret identity. It was the first result I looked up.”

“Then...how come no one’s come after us.” Jake mused more to himself than anyone else.

“Guess no one really cares.” Daken said.

“Damn, that’s sobering.” Jake said, lifting his hat so he could run a hand through his hair.

A young woman came over to the booth holding a notepad and pen. “Oh hi Jake, haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been some time, Lacy.”

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

“Pancakes!” Jake announced before David or Daken could say anything. “For all three of us.”

Lacy let out a little laugh. “Okay, and anything to drink?”

“Coffee would be just lovely.” Jake said.

The woman looked at David and Daken.

“Coffee.” David said.

“Coffee as well.” Daken repeated.

“Alright.” she said, scribbling something down in her notebook. “I’ll be right back with you,” she added before walking off.

“So,” Jake leaned forward on the table, looking at David, “what’s the prognosis, doc?”

“What?” David asked.

“Khonshu. Real or not.”

“Oh, uh…” David wasn’t expecting Jake to spring that question on him. “Hm…” he furrowed his brow, thinking. “Well, he’s certainly got a presence over your mind. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Almost supernatural really...”

“ _But_?” asked Jake.

“But I can’t say for certain he’s _real_. I have some pretty powerful entities in my mind that are by no means real. What’s Khonshu supposed to be again?”

“Egyptian god of the moon. Brought Marc back from the dead supposedly. We’ve been ‘ _worshipping_ ’ him ever since.” Jake put ‘worshipping’ in heavy air quotes.

“Yeah, I can’t confirm if Egyptian gods are real. Stranger things have been real for sure, but I honestly can’t say. I don’t know if he’s really a god, just a figment of your mind, or something else entirely, but whatever the hell he is, he’s _extremely_ powerful.”

“Well shoot.” Jake said. “No answers today, boys.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on.” Daken said. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh right. Well, while you were searching around in my mind, me and Marc had a little chat…” David told him about his conversation with Marc and his venture into Marc’s mind with Jake chiming in every now and then. While he was talking, Lacy brought over their coffee.

“Is Steven the ‘pompous prick’ you were talking about that also got pushed aside in L.A.?” Daken asked.

“The very one.” Jake said, taking a healthy sip of his coffee.

“What happened to Spider-Man, Cap, and...Logan?”

Jake let out a low laugh. “Dunno. Think Marc just grew out of that hero fantasy. Came to his senses in a way. Came back to reality, our reality.”

“So, do you have DID? If you don’t mind me asking.” David asked.

“Don’t mind at all.” Jake responded. “And as for the diagnosis, eh…” he waved his hand around, “it’s tricky. We can all communicate pretty clearly and we can see what each other are doing, even if we’re not in control, you know, we don’t usually have blackouts which is unusual, though it’s not unheard of. And we don’t have any trauma which is _not_ normal for people with DID at all - or maybe we do and it’s just that none of us can remember it, but honestly, I doubt it. That is unless you count the war as trauma, but this shit was going on _long_ before then. Plus there’s the whole issue of the giant bird skeleton in the room…” He brought his coffee up to his lips. “It kinda treads the line of schizophrenia for me. The docs slapped DID on us cause they didn’t know what else to call it. Got the schizo diagnosis once or twice - well, maybe more than once or twice - but it never really stuck.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Guess we’re kind of an anomaly.”

“Mm! I know _exactly_ what you mean.” David said, swallowing a sip of his coffee. “You’ve been inside my head, right? I don’t think you have to be a telepath to know that is _not_ a normal mind by any stretch of the imagination. These monsters take over by biting my inner self, and while I blackout in the real world, in my mind I can fight ‘em off. Plus, I can see them and hear them and interact with them inside my mind. And being a mutant just makes it all the crazier.” He took the sugar dispenser and poured a bit more into his coffee. “You know, it’s definitely a mental illness, and closest diagnosis you can give me is DID, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

“Exactly, exactly.” Jake said, nodding. “And what about you?” He asked, turning toward Daken.

“Me?” Daken asked, taken aback.

“Yeah you. I know there’s something going on up in there.” Jake said, pointing to Daken’s head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Daken said, calmly taking a sip of his coffee. David laughed and Daken shot him a subtle glare.

“Look, me, Marc, and Stevie have been in and out of psych wards our entire lives. Just got outta one a couple weeks ago. We’ve met a personification of every diagnosis in the DSM-5 under the sun. And you are classic cluster B personality disorder.”

“We’ve been calling it ASPD.” David said.

“Sounds about right.”

“Do you know if there’s, like, a difference between psychopathy and ASPD? Cause I’ve been equating the two, but I’ve done some research and I’m not sure that’s right.” David said.

“Hm...that’s a tough one. I thought the two were different, but they had a lotta overlap.” Jake replied.

“Yeah I read that too. But I also read that they’re the same thing. And I’ve been wondering about sociopathy. I’m not quite sure where that label fits into all of this.”

Daken pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh my god,” he groaned.

“I thought sociopathy was the same thing as ASPD.” Jake said.

“I thought that as well, but I’ve also read different. Same thing with psychopathy, that it just overlapped.” David offered.

Jake shrugged. “Shit’s complicated.”

“Sure is. So can we _please_ talk about something else.” Daken interjected.

David laughed. “Sure thing, bud, sure thing.” he said, patting Daken on the back.

“Don’t patronize me.” Daken grumbled into his coffee.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” David grinned.

“Here you are!” Gena declared as she waltzed up to their booth, plates in hand. “Gena’s pancakes, fresh from the grill, made with love.” she said as she placed stack of steaming hot pancakes topped with a dollop of butter in front of each of them.

Jake eagerly grabbed the syrup and started pouring it on top of his pancakes. “Now if these aren’t the best pancakes you’ve ever had, I’m gonna-”

“You said.” Daken cut him off.

Jake laughed at his interjection. “Thank you, Gena.” he said, placing the syrup down and picking up his knife and fork.

“Thank _you_ Jake. Glad to know you’re still spreading the good word about my pancakes.” She smiled as she walked off.

Jake dug in. “Oh my _god_ I’ve missed these,” he delighted as he chewed.

David poured a considerable amount of syrup on his pancakes, cut off a portion with his fork and stuck it in his mouth. “Holy shit.” he exclaimed, mouth full of pancake. “You weren’t kidding.”

Daken, after pouring a conservative amount of syrup on his pancakes, took his knife, and cut out an even slice. He studied the pancake on the tip of his fork. Nice internal structure. Not too thick, not too thin. Just enough bubbles in the dough. He could smell the ingredients. It was your typical batter; eggs, milk, flour. He placed it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds, swallowed, and wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin. “Okay, you win this one Jake.”

“I told ya!” Jake said cheerfully.

The three ate in silence for a few moments, enjoying their meal. The pancakes were light, fluffy, but each bite had an internal weight. There was a clear sense that you were consuming something, that you weren’t just eating air. The flavor was immaculate, it had its own sweetness. It would’ve been perfectly palatable without the syrup, but it didn’t combat it. It worked in tandem with its toppings and somehow, no matter how much syrup you loaded it with, it maintained its structure and didn’t get soggy. There was a sense of joy that came from eating this pancake, a sense of pure culinary ecstasy, and David, Daken, and Jake took their time to revel in it.

“I’m gonna run off to the bathroom.” Jake said, half his pancake already eaten, “Be right back!” He assured them as he left.

“So what do you think of Jake?” David asked once the bathroom door closed behind him.

“He’s nice.” Daken responded. “Weird, but nice.”

“Fuckable?”

Daken let out a sharp, sudden laugh. “Why the hell would you ask that?”

"I know how your mind works."

Daken laughed again. "Well…" he put his finger on his chin, "he's got a nice figure, muscular in way that tells you he knows how to fight which is exciting, and scars are always sexy. But that stubble is _not_ doing him any favors.” He shrugged. “He's straight though, so it doesn't matter."

"How do you know?"

"It's called gaydar and it works both ways."

"Marc too?"

"Yep."

"Well, sexual identity hasn't stopped you before."

"Are you encouraging me?"

"Absolutely not, just talking to you on your level."

Daken chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not just some sex crazed maniac you know. Besides, haven't you heard you're not supposed to stick your dick in crazy."

"Hypocrite." David retaliated. "In more ways than one."

Daken snickered, but didn’t say anything, simply cutting off another piece of his pancake.

“You know,” David said after a beat of silence, “you didn’t have to try to find Polimeter back when we were falling.”

“Mm?” Daken hummed, chewing on his food.

“In fact, it would’ve been far more advantageous for you to let me fall and die. With your healing factor - while it would’ve hurt - you would’ve lived, and you wouldn’t have me gettin’ in your way every time you tried to do something wrong.”

“Hm.” He grunted.

“You actually tried to save me.”

Daken swallowed and opened his mouth to speak when Jake burst out of the bathroom and made his way back to the booth. “Alright, I’m back.” he announced and immediately dug back into his pancakes.

“You know, Jake, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” David began, cutting off a bit of his food.

“Mm?” Jake asked, his face stuffed.

“When we were in the sky and Marc was talking to Khonshu, he said ‘I'll do it more.’ I was just wondering what that meant.”

Jake’s everlasting smile faltered.

“You don’t have to tell me.” David quickly added, mouth full, picking up on Jake’s discomfort.

Jake swallowed. “No, no, I…” He put his forehead in his hand and started grumbling to himself. “No I’m not...I’m not gonna hide anything, alright...No, I wanna tell him...Well then you shouldn’ta done that!...Whatever. I’m gonna do it. Look,” he looked up at David and Daken, “Khonshu requires...offerings.”

“Offerings?” Daken asked.

“Offerings, sacrifices. Usually of a violent nature. Carving a moon in people’s head and stuff like that. I don’t...he bugs us to do it and we don’t want to but...voices, y’know, they can be hard to ignore. I’m the most resistant to Khonshu so he doesn’t really like me, but Marc and Steven, you know, they can be a little sadistic. Yes you are!”  He suddenly shouted to himself. He sighed. “Look, they don’t want to do it either - for the most part - but Khonshu is a persistent little asshole. I can stand the vigilantism and all the moon paraphernalia, spreading the symbol and being the knight of vengeance and all that, but I don’t wanna kill anyone, ‘specially not in the name of a god I don’t even know exists.” He cut off a chunk of his pancake. “But Marc promised we’d do it more, so I guess we gotta do it more.” He grumbled and stuck the food in his mouth.

“Christ man,” David said, “I’m sorry, I-”

Jake waved his hand. “I don’t want anyone feelin’ sorry for me, alright. We all have our shit, we just gotta deal with it.” His smile returned. “Besides, that scene Marc made in the warehouse should satisfy him for a good long while. Won’t have to bother with fuckin’ bird brains whisperin’ in our ear for us to maim and murder for at least another week!”

“You are fucked up.” Daken smirked.

“Ain’t we all, man, ain’t we all,” he said, giving a toothy grin. “Hey, at least I’m not ashamed of it.”

“True, very true.” David said, looking at Daken. Daken acted oblivious, taking a quiet, artful sip of his drink.

“So how long have you guys known each other?” Jake asked.

David and Daken looked at each other. “About a week,” David said. “Why?”

“Really!? Seems like you’ve known each other a lot longer. Got your own rapport and everything.” He shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip of his coffee. “And I dunno, just curious. Like I said, seems like you’ve known each other a long time.”

“Huh.” David said.

The three chatted and ate until they’d finished their pancakes and were loaded on coffee. After some time, Gena came walking up to the booth. “Jake, honey? You got time to catch up or are you still talkin’ with your friends?”

“Oh, uh…” He gave David and Daken a sideways glance.

“I think it’s about time we get goin’,” David said, not wanting to get in the way of Jake and Gena’s reunion.

“Agreed.” Daken stated, getting up from the booth. It was very late, the diner had mostly cleared out.

“Alright, well it was nice meeting you two!” Gena said as they got up.

“Likewise!” Jake grinned.

“Here.” Daken pulled out a twenty and handed it to Gena.

“Shit. I don’t have any money.” David said.

“Don’t worry man, I gotcha.” Jake offered.

“Oh really? Thanks,” David said. He slowly started walking backward toward the door, “And hey,” he began, “I know you said we all got ta deal with our own shite, but you don’t have to deal with it alone. I’m here for you Jake. You too, Marc, Steven. You ever need anything just give me a psychic call, I’ll answer.”

Jake gave him a salute. “Thanks, David. And if you ever need us, just use your freaky mind powers and we'll come runnin'."

"Sure thing." David smiled back before turning around and exiting the diner with Daken.

“Well that was...interesting.” Daken said as they walked out onto the sidewalk.

It was still raining fairly heavily. David, with Felix Fielder still close at hand, sunk his hand into the alter’s skull and summoned a force field that hovered above David and Daken to shield them from the rain.

“I like Jake.” David said. “Marc too. They seem like nice guys. Wish I could’ve learned more about Steven though.”

“Are they another broken bird for you to take under your wing?” Daken asked bitingly.

David gave a dry laugh. “Well I certainly wouldn’t put it like _that_. But he’s a man...men in need of psychiatric help that I can invariably relate to. What’s not to love?”

“Are you gonna ditch me for loony moony back there?”

“I wouldn’t think of it, Daken. Didn't you hear him? We have a rapport."

Daken chuckled. “So are you gonna port back to the mansion and leave me out here in the rain?

"No, I drank too much coffee, got the jitters, gotta walk it out."

“Suppose I’ll join you then.” Daken said.

“Oh you’re too kind.” David teased.

Daken smirked. “I think I might be rubbing off on you, David.”

“Oh god no, I don’t need _more_ daddy issues.” David said, vigorously rubbing his skin.

Daken laughed.

“Next thing you know I’ll start kidnapping teenage X-Men for nefarious purposes.”

Daken snickered. “If the X-Men knew we were fraternizing, they’d probably think I’d kidnapped and brainwashed you.”

David scoffed. “I’m almost eighteen, I’m practically an adult compared to Zach and Evan. Plus, I’m far more mature. You couldn’t brainwash me if you tried.” He shook his head. “Those poor boys. Evan especially.”

“What I did to him was less than one one thousandth of what was done to me. I wouldn’t waste your time feeling sorry for him.”

David clicked his tongue. “Classic ASPD. Excusing or minimizing the impact of your actions.”

“I see you’ve done your research.”

“I have indeed. There’s some really interesting videos online. I’d share them with you if you gave me your contact info.”

“I’m not giving you my contact information if you’re going to use it to send me videos about antisocial personality disorder.”

“How about we exchange phone numbers and I promise not to send you any of those videos.” David shrugged. “Never know if my psychic powers might fail me.”

“Hm…” Daken thought for a moment, then shrugged as well. “Alright.”

The two exchanged numbers. David listed Daken in his contacts as ‘Fuckboi’ while Daken listed David as ‘Hair Freak.’

“Why are you using a pseudonym for me?” David asked. “You’re not constantly surrounded by incessant do-gooders out to put away the baddies.”  

“Does daddy still go through your phone to make sure you’re not sneaking off for drugs and sex Mr. Almost Adult?”

“Oh fuck off,” David said amiably. “I’m gonna tell Wolverine that you’re teasing me.”

Daken fake gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t.” David said. “I prefer not to interact with people who call me ‘ _Legion_ ’.”

“So most people.”

David laughed. “Suppose so. Fuck that’s sad, innit?”

“Mm.” Daken hummed in agreement. David felt Daken’s mind wander toward thoughts of his own unsavory reputation as ‘Wolverine’s psychopathic son’, but neither of them said anything.

“Why didn’t you ever call me Legion?” David asked.

“I’m not one for silly names.” Daken responded.

“Hm.” David said. “That’s good, commendable.” The two walked in silence for a few moments before David said, “So, Ben…”

“What about him?” Daken asked.

“You know if I'd known you were gonna leech off the poor bastard like you did I'd’ve stopped it right then and there in the bar.”

“Good to know you’ve been keeping such close tabs on me.” He said sardonically.

“Well I have to, per our frenemy agreement.” David said. “Trust me, I’d very much _not_ like to know the details of your sex life.” He shook his head. “I don’t get why you stay with him if you don’t even like him.”

“I don’t like most of the people I hook up with, and I'll never meet someone I enjoy romantically.”

David furrowed his brow. “Then why do you hook up with them?”

“You made the mistake of assuming I’m alloromantic.”

“But you fuck literally everything.”

“Yes I _fuck_ everything, I don’t _date_ everything. I’m aromantic bisexual, or maybe it’s pansexual, I can never keep up nowadays.”

“So you wanna fuck people but you don't want to go out with them. No holding hands or candlelit dinners.”

“Exactly.” Daken said. “Ben is hot and highly fuckable. That’s all I need.” He grinned. “It does help that he can be entertaining at times...”

“How so?”

“Well, he’s a bit of a weeb...”

“Ha! Really?”

“...and with me being Japanese…”

“Oh my god.”

“...well you can connect the dots.” Daken grinned. “I told him I hadn’t seen much anime.  He very excitedly tried to show me _Cowboy Bebop_.”

David burst out laughing.

“I’m really more of a Satoshi Kon kind of guy.” Daken said.

“I knew you were arthouse!”

“You know Satoshi Kon?” Daken asked, surprised.

“I’ve dipped my toe into anime. _Paprika_ is a classic.”

“Huh.” Daken said. “The more I know you, the more I respect you.”

David excitedly put his hands on his cheeks. “Is that a sincere compliment? From _you_?” He asked. “Oh my goodness! What an occasion!”

“Oh shut up.” Daken said, rolling his eyes. “Just take the compliment like a normal person you stupid Scottish prick,” he added in a wild attempt to balance things out.

“I’m not actually Scottish, you know,” David said, ignoring the barb.

“What do you mean?”

“I grew up on Muir Island, and while it is off the coast of Scotland, it doesn’t belong to any country. My caretaker was Scottish, which is where I got the accent from, but I’m technically stateless.”

“Huh.”

“The accent’s diluted quite a bit since they moved me to the U.S., and she never said things like ‘mate’ or ‘ken’ or anything like that so it never really entered my vocabulary. Unlike some Scottish accents, you can actually understand what I’m saying.”

“I’ve been to Scotland, I bet I could understand it if you turned up the Scottishness.”

David grinned. “Ya think?”

“Can you turn up the Scottishness?”

“I can try…um...got ta think of a sentence...” He cleared his throat. “Aye, the draftpak will haud oot oan us.”

“Yeah, the low-life will...something on us.”

“Ah, you got draftpak. Thought that would trip you up. The proper translation would be yeah, the low-life will hold it on us. But you were close!”

“Hold, haud…” Daken shook his head. “Should’ve guessed that.”

They walked in silence for a bit longer, David tossing something around in his mind. Finally, he cleared his throat again, a bit deeper this time. “Daken?” he asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“How did you know about my mother?”

Daken looked down, a little smile on his face. “It’s good to know I can still hide things from you, David.”

“Are you gonna tell me?”

Daken sighed. “I suppose there’s no use keeping this close to my chest other than to use as leverage but…” But he didn’t want to have leverage over David. Sure, David, in all his infinite power, held plenty over Daken, but somehow holding the death of his mother over him felt dirty, and he respected David more than to fall to such lowly tactics. He wanted an equal, even if said equal would get in the way of his nefarious schemes, and hiding this information no doubt unbalanced their relationship.

David sensed the conflict going on in Daken’s mind, but didn’t say anything. He just looked at him, eyes wide and hopeful.

“I hope you know that when I say this, I’m playing my cards prematurely.” Daken said. “I’m...trusting you.”

“I know.”

“ _How_ I gained this information is nothing special. Telepathy - especially when the telepath is emotional and sloppy, as you were when we first met - can be a two way street if you know how to access it.” Daken had been trained in numerous psychic countermeasures, and when David had established a prolonged telepathic connection with Daken, he’d pushed his way into David’s mind through that connection and he’d seen some things. Nothing particularly useful, but he’d glimpsed a few things that would get under David’s skin, which was all he’d really wanted to do at the time. He’d seen David and his mother, reconnecting after years in the ruins of a building, and he’d seen the bullet go through his mother’s head as he held her in his arms, and he’d felt David’s immense, overwhelming guilt.

David saw all this as Daken disarmed the traps that guarded the experience in his mind. He felt a lump in his throat as he relived the memory.

“I realized, after I taunted you about your mother’s death, that it probably wasn’t public knowledge and you might be curious as to how I would know such a thing, so I decided to hide it in case I needed to hold something over you, but...I don’t want to do that.”

“I killed those men.” David said quietly.

“What?”

“I killed the men who killed my mother. I did it without even thinking. I burned them to ashes and I didn’t regret it. I still don’t.” David let out a choked laugh. “But you know what? My mother’s alive and well.”

“How?”

“That was from a different universe.”

“Oh not this crap.” Daken groaned.

“Yes this crap. This crap is my fucking life. My mind creates alternate universes without me even knowing it.” David sighed. “In that case I did know it. I consciously erased myself from existence in that timeline. And then I came back and I don’t really know why and some things in this universe are the same and some aren’t.” David shrugged. “It’s just my crazy, fucked up life. And I have to live with it.”

“Why’d you erase yourself from existence?”

“‘Cause I was destroying the world, and the only way to stop it was to destroy myself, wholly and completely.”

“Wow.” Daken said. “You really are a problematic person to be around.”

“No kidding.” They walked in silence for a little longer, listening to the patter of the rain all around them. “You hid that mother thing from me pretty well.” David said. “Just makes me wonder what else, you know. I can tell there’s a big gap in your timeline you’re hiding from me. I can kind of glimpse this guy, Romulus-”

“You have no right to talk about him.” Daken cut him off with a sudden coldness in his voice that David hadn’t heard before. “We can exchange blows about our daddy issues. But him? You don’t talk about him.” There was an ever so slight quiver in his voice.

“Okay.” David said softly. “Okay.”

A tense silence fell over the two. The rain had picked up into a heavy, unending shower. A waterfall of water surrounded them as the rain congealed and ran off the forcefield in a constant stream.

“You know,” David said, “we’ll find you a project.”

“Hm?”

“I know you’ve been restless. Excruciating, unending boredom. That’s another symptom. Not that I’m religating you to a series of symptoms but…” David shrugged. “The things you do, you do them cause you’re bored and you like having power. And I’ve realized just stopping you from doing those things isn’t really fixing anything, it’s just preventing something. If I really wanna help you, I’ll find you a project. A good, productive project that won’t involve hurting people.”

Daken chuckled. “You can try.” He said. “Any ideas?”

“None yet, no. But I’ll find you something, I promise.”

Daken smirked. “Okay,” he said apathetically, knowing full well there’s very little David could come up with that would hold his attention for long.

“And it won’t be something stupid like being a superhero or something.” David said. “Unless you want...”

“No.” Daken said.

“Fair enough.” David replied. “Wouldn’t wanna deal with that shite anyway. It’s a toxic community.”

Daken laughed. “That’s the understatement of the century.”

David laughed along with him.

The two walked and talked for a bit longer, but - although Daken would never admit it - he was starting to get tired. Because of his healing factor, caffeine had no effect on him, so unlike David, Daken was far from brimming with energy. Sensing this, David said, “Alright, it’s almost morning so I better be goin’ now. I’ll drop you off somewhere, but I _won’t_ be droppin’ you off at Ben’s place. I’m not enabling your bad behaviour.”

Daken smirked, “It’s fine, I can walk.” He stuck his hand out from under their protective forcefield, letting the water drip into his palm. “I actually quite enjoy the rain.”

David shrugged, “Suit yourself.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to have any trouble with Polimeter?”

“We got things worked out. I’m pretty sure it was all just one big understanding.”

“Alright,” _be safe_ he thought deep inside his head but didn’t say, “see you next time I try to kill someone.”

“See ya.” David said, and in an instant he was back in his room at the mansion. He sighed, wiping his wet feet on the carpet. Then he hopped onto his bed, pulled out his earbuds, plugged them into his phone, and stuck them in his ears. “Alright, where were we…” he murmured, swiping through his phone to access the _Welcome to Night Vale_ tab. He pressed play, starting where he left off, and laid back in his bed, closing his eyes, letting Cecil’s voice ring through his ears. His belly was full of coffee and the best pancakes he’d ever tasted, and his head was full of undeniable hope for the future.

Daken, meanwhile, was assaulted by a sudden shower of rain as soon as David left. He combed a hand through his hair, making sure it still looked good even while soaking wet. Satisfied, he made his journey back to Ben’s apartment. Luckily, it wasn’t too far from his current location.

He walked with his shoulders back, his head tilted toward the sky, letting the rain hit his face. There was a tranquility walking in the dark in the warm, wet rain, even in the city that never sleeps. It was like nothing else existed, just him and the water. It was meditative. For the first time in a long time, his mind felt at peace.

That was why, when he reached Ben’s apartment, he let out a deflated sigh. There was nothing quite as disappointing as being thrust back into the real world after you’ve finally managed to escape it. Ben would be back from the bar and was most definitely asleep, but he didn’t want to wake him up, he didn’t feel like dealing with him. So he took his claws and thrust them into the cheap, wooden door of the apartment building, tearing out the handle. The door swung open violently, but Daken managed to catch it before it could make any noise. He made his way to Ben’s apartment and checked the handle. Locked. He smirked. Maybe Ben was a bit smarter than he gave him credit for; he didn’t leave the door unlocked for Daken’s sake. He gave Ben’s door the same treatment as the one he gave to the entrance to the apartment building; sticking his claws in and pulling out the handle. He entered, and without turning the lights on, swiftly, silently, grabbed his bag, stuffed all his belongings in it, and left.

He walked out of the building and stood on the street corner, trying to hail a cab. It was hard to get one this early in the morning, but a cab rolled up eventually. Daken got in and gave the cabbie the directions to his apartment. It was time for him to finally clean up that mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Irvine Welsh.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Extreme graphic violence. If you want to skip it, it starts at, “Before David could finish his telepathic message…” and ends at, “He looked around.”

It had been a month, and David and Daken had gotten into a routine.

Daken would have a violent thought or come up with a criminal plan and David would appear and try to stop him. Sometimes he’d succeed, other times not so much. But no matter what, the losing party would accept their losses and the two of them would hang out and talk for awhile. Oftentimes they’d go to a restaurant or cafe, sometimes Daken would convince David to go to a bar with him. Other times they’d go for a walk. With David’s teleportation powers, they could go anywhere in the world, so they enjoyed the sights, scenes, and cuisine of a multitude destinations around the globe.

Their frenemiship was growing faster and stronger than either of them could’ve imagined. David found himself - ironically - looking forward to Daken’s villainous machinations. Although he wasn’t particularly happy when his psychic alarm alerted him in the middle of the night while he was sleeping, or when he was spending time with Ruth. Still, he did his duty as Daken’s loyal frenemy to stop him when he tried to hurt someone and go out for coffee with him afterwards.

David was lying in bed, scrolling through Twitter when he came across an image of Bugs Bunny from the original Looney Toons cartoon, dressed as a woman leaning up against Elmer Fudd who looked very excited. It was captioned “bugs bunny making his enemies want to fuck him is some next level psychological warfare shit”. David burst out laughing. He immediately screenshot the tweet and sent it to Fuckboi, texting after the image “You”.

Daken was sitting at a local smoothie place, quietly sipping a mango smoothie, mindlessly scrolling through his phone, his mohawk tied back in a bun. A notification popped up telling him he’d gotten a text from Hair Freak. He opened it and shook his head when he saw the message, though he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

He closed the text and resumed his scrolling, barely paying attention to what he was looking at. Suddenly, he heard a “Woah!” and felt a hand hit his shoulder and something sticky and cold on his feet and ankles. On instinct, he stood up and extended his claws.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” the fallen man said as he started to get up. “Here, let me get some napkins-” He stopped his sentence short as he stood up and saw who he’d spilled his drink on. “What are those?” he asked coldly, looking at Daken’s hands.

Daken looked curiously at the bones extending from his flesh. “My claws,” he responded.

“Like Wolverine,” the man said with anger and realization. “What are you doing with those out? You planning to stab me you mutie freak!?” He picked up Daken’s smoothie and threw it in his face.

Daken closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the mango smoothie drip down his chin.

_Oh fuck no don’t you-_

Before David could finish his telepathic message, Daken deliver a swift roundhouse kick to the head of the mutaphobe. Blood and teeth flew out of his mouth as he fell over. Daken leaned over the man. “I am now,” he grinned, and stabbed the man in the chest. The man screamed as Daken sheathed his claws and sunk his fingers into the gashes in his flesh. He grabbed onto the ribcage, twisted, and with a sickening crack, a portion of the bone broke off. He tossed it aside and plunged his hand into the man's flesh once more, grabbing hold of the heart. In one swift motion, he pulled out the organ. He stood up and held it in his hand, triumphant. The man looked at him, deathly pale, eyes wide.

“It’s a shame, really.” Daken said. “You were almost attractive.” He squished the heart in his hands, blood spurted everywhere. He let the shiny, crimson liquid drip down his arm. The man let out his final breath as Daken dropped the crumpled organ onto the ground. It landed with a splat.

He looked around. Very few patrons were left in the establishment, many were hiding, several were simply frozen in terror. One was nervously holding her phone, recording the event. Daken smirked at her, then looked back at his arm, covered in blood. The smell was overwhelming; salty and metallic. Without thinking, he slowly ran his tongue from his elbow to fingers. He smiled, blood running down his chin.

“Ah, fuck.” David said, suddenly appearing beside Daken, careful to avoid the ever growing mess on the floor. “Christ, you really mutilated this guy, didn’t ya?”

“I did indeed.” Daken said proudly. He wiped away the blood on his chin with his clean hand, then looked down at the smear of blood on the back of his skin and ran his tongue across it.

“Ugh, stop doin’ that, will ya. It’s bloody disgusting.” He paused. “Alright, maybe that’s a poor choice of word.”

Daken laughed.

He looked over at the woman recording with her phone. She was visibly shaking. He held his hand out toward her. “Sorry,”  he said as he closed his hand into a fist, the phone crumpling into a mass of glass and circuit boards. “I put enough money in your pocket to buy you a new phone, a good one. Now get goin’.” She remained frozen. “Go on, scram, all of ya!” Slowly, the remaining patrons moved from their spot and ran out of the establishment.

David sighed, “Why’d you have ta do this?”

“Didn’t you hear him? He called me a mutie freak. I thought you of all people would understand the gravity of that insult.”

“And look what a great example you set.”

“Plus he threw a smoothie in my face.”

David heard sirens approaching in the distance. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” In an instant they were in Daken’s apartment.

David had been invited to Daken’s residence on several occasions after Daken had managed to tidy up. After trying for ten minutes to do it himself, Daken gave up and simply called a very special maid service; the kind who do what exactly what they’re told, tell no one about their jobs, and ask no questions. Ever since then, the place was immaculate. David had mostly been invited in simply so Daken could grab a few things before David and Daken headed to their destination. On one occasion, David and Daken couldn’t agree on a place to go for their post-conflict outing, so they’d simply stayed at Daken’s place and ordered some pizza.

Daken started to strip as soon as they arrived at his apartment.

“God, no, go in the bathroom first.” David protested, averting his eyes.

“I’m covered in smoothie. I want to get this shit off of me as fast as I can. If you have trouble seeing me in my boxers just look away.”

“Already am.” David said, eyes closed.

Once Daken had stripped down to his boxers and thrown his dirty clothing in the hamper, he went into the bathroom, undressed completely, and got in the shower.

David walked next to the bathroom doorway and leaned against the wall. “That was brutal what you did today, Daken.”

“What!” Daken yelled.

“I said what you did today was brutal!”

“I can’t hear you over the water! Open the door! Don’t worry, the curtain’s drawn!”

David sighed and opened the bathroom door. A billow of steam entered the rest of the apartment. “I said what you did today was brutal.”

Daken shrugged as he washed the blood and smoothie off his arms. “I felt like having fun.”

David leaned back against the wall. “You’ve got a fucked up idea of fun.”

“We’ve established this.”

David let out a little laugh and scratched the back of his head. “Suppose we have.”

Daken took the bun out of his hair and grabbed the shampoo. “So I win this one.”

“You win this one.” David repeated. “To be fair, it all happened very suddenly.”

“Well I don’t wanna give you time to catch me.” Daken said slyly.

David smirked. “Any idea where you wanna go after this?”

“You ever been to a fish market?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Good. They’re disgusting.”

“Then why’d you ask?”

“Just curious.”

David laughed. “I’m kind of in the mood for some Thai food.”

“I’ve never been to Thailand.”

“Me neither.”

“Do you know any Thai places that aren’t in Thailand?”

“Actually, I know a pretty good one in Ohio.”

“ _Ohio_?”

“Yeah.”

“When did you go to _Ohio_?”

David shrugged. “I was bored, decided to explore the states a little.”

The stream of water ceased as Daken turned off the shower. “I’m coming out, might wanna close the door.”

David snickered as he closed the door to the bathroom. “You know there’s more than one way to interpret that sentence.”

He heard Daken laugh as he grabbed a towel and dried himself off. Shortly after, he emerged with the towel wrapped around his waist. “So are we set on Ohio?” he asked as he raided his wardrobe, carefully choosing his outfit.

“Suppose so.” David replied, careful to avert his eyes.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Ohio.” he said, hold a pair of pants in one hand and a shirt in the other, inspecting it carefully.

“Why not?”

“Didn’t really seem like they had anything interesting there.” he replied, trading the shirt for another.

“There’s interesting shit everywhere.”

Daken shrugged as he walked back to the bathroom, outfit in hand. “Maybe so, but I think I’m far more likely to find something interesting in Moscow or Rio.”

“You can find something in places like Ohio. Ya just gotta look, have patience.”

Daken laughed from the other side of the door in the bathroom. “That’s one thing I very much _don’t_ have.”

“True.” David grinned.

Daken emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed in his typical high-end, designer clothing. “So what’s this place called?” he asked as he walked over to an ornate mirror and an earring holder standing on his dresser.

“Zen Thai. It’s very nice. Homey, locally owned.” David furrowed his brow as Daken picked up a small hoop earring. “You know, I’ve been wondering how you get earrings in. You’d think with your healing factor you wouldn’t be able to have any piercings, they’d just close up immediately.”

“That’s true, I can’t get any permanent piercings, see.” David walked closer as Daken pulled on his earlobe, displaying that it didn’t have any holes in it. “So I just gotta push it…” Daken grabbed the sharp end of the earring and began slowly, methodically pushing it through his skin. “...on...through.” The earring suddenly poked out the other side and Daken pushed it closed. David watched the whole thing with a grimace on his face. Daken looked at David through the mirror. “I’m gonna do this a few more times, so you might wanna look away if it bothers you.”

“Right.” David walked over to the bed and took a seat, looking down at the carpeted floor.

“Pussy.” Daken smirked.

David laughed, but didn’t say anything. He waited until Daken had finished pushing his earrings in - three on the right side, two on the left - before standing up and asking, “Ready?”

“Ready.” Daken replied.

Instantly, the two were transported to a parking lot surrounded by a small strip mall. There was a dance studio, a local grocery store, a pet shop, a niche clothing store, and the restaurant - Zen Thai. It was tiny. A decent sized aquarium could be seen through the window showcasing an array of exotic fish. The letters announcing the presence of the restaurant were weathered and rusted, the “n” in “Zen” was slightly tilted.

“Is this what you meant by ‘homey?’” Daken asked.

“Give it a chance, will ya?”

Daken rolled his eyes as the two walked into the establishment. Opening the door, they were greeted by the clattering of dishes and people shouting in Thai. Daken was assaulted by the scent of an assortment of seafood - everything from fish to scallops to shrimp. On the wooden walls hung various artwork that David and Daken could only assume were Thai in origin. The place was cramped, but sparse. The space was filled with tiny, polished, wooden tables and chairs, only two of which were occupied.

“Is that sushi?” Daken asked, sniffing the air.

“Yeah, they also sell some Japanese stuff.”

“Hello!” A young Thai woman with a heavy accent greeted them at the door. “Two?”

“Two.” David confirmed.

“Follow me!” She smiled and led them to one of the empty tables by the wall. David and Daken took a seat and she placed a menu in front of each of them. “Anything to drink?” She asked.

“Just water would be fine, thank you.” David said.

“Do you have any alcohol?” Daken asked.

“No alcohol, sorry.”

“Hm…” Daken picked up his menu and studied the drink section. “I’ll just have some iced tea then.”

“Okay! Be right back.” she said cheerfully before walking off.

“So I gotta ask,” David leaned forward and lowered his voice, “why the fuck were you licking up that blood?”

Daken smirked and looked at David above his menu. “It’s exciting.”

“Exciting?”

“Blood, it’s exciting. You should see my partners’ flesh after I-”

“Yeah, alright, alright.” David cut him off. David had, on too many occasions, glimpsed into Daken’s sex life when checking up on him, and while he always pulled out of his mind immediately during such instances, he knew Daken liked to use his claws during intercourse.

Daken gave him a knowing smile before returning to his menu.

David sighed, picking up his own menu and looking through it.

The waitress returned, delivering David and Daken their drinks. “I’m so sorry, I forgot the sushi menu.” She apologized, placing the menu in front of them along with a pen.

“No problem.” David said.

“Do you know what you’d like?”

David looked at Daken. “I’ll take the panang curry.” Daken said.

“What would you like on a spice rating of one to five, five being the spiciest?”

“Five.” Daken responded immediately.

“Alright.” She said, eyes wide as she wrote something down in her notebook. “That’s very spicy.”

“I know it is.” Daken grinned at her, sending a batch of lustful pheromones her way.

 _Hey! No fucking anybody on our outings, remember!?_ David promptly scolded him.

 _I know. I’m just having fun._ Daken responded.

Indeed, the waitress’s cheeks flushed. She batted her eyelashes at Daken. “I’ll be right back.” She said somewhat lustfully before walking off.

“You made her forget about me.” David said, annoyed.

“You weren’t ready anyway.” Daken responded.

David grumbled something inaudible and returned to his menu. Daken sipped at his tea while David looked through the options. Eventually, he picked up the sushi menu. After a moment, he picked up the pen and marked off a few rolls.

“What are you getting?” Daken asked.

“I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause you’ll judge me.”

Daken laughed. “I’ll just see what you get when they bring it to you.”

“I know. I’m just delaying the judgement for as long as I can.”

Daken laughed again. “Suit yourself.” he said, sticking the straw back in his mouth.

They talked until the waitress came over with a bowl of curry and a plate of rice. As she brought the bowl to the table, Daken grabbed it, letting his hand brush against hers. Her face went bright red as Daken smiled at her, accepting the food. She placed the the plate of rice next to Daken. “Um, are you ready?” She asked David, flustered.

“Here.” David handed her the sushi menu.

“Alright, I’ll be right back with you.” She ran a hand through her ponytail and gave Daken a double take as she left their table.

“You’re a monster, you know that?” Daken said.

“An incredibly good looking one apparently.” Daken smiled as he dumped the rice in the curry. He took his spoon and scooped some food into his mouth.

David grinned. “How’s the curry?”

Daken swallowed. “Pretty good actually, I...um…” his face began to turn red, “it’s...um...better than I,” he coughed, “expected.” He grabbed his tea and started drinking it vigorously, his eyes watering.

David laughed. “You better eat that whole thing or I’m never gonna let you live it down.”

“Sure I will. No problem.” He scooped another spoonful of curry into his mouth.

“The Thai don’t fuck around with spice.”

Daken nodded as he slurped down the remainder of his tea, sweat forming on his brow. David watched his suffering with a smile on his face. “You know,” Daken said, “I thought being Japanese...I’d be able to handle any spice the world could throw at me...but this,” he pointed down at his curry, “is on a whole other level.”

“I think you’re seeing why I chose this place.”

“Oh you little fucker.” He took a deep breath before he put another spoonful in his mouth.

“It’s not well known enough to be on the map, but from my understanding, they serve some of the spiciest food in the world here, and I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“You fucker.” he repeated, sniffing up the snot that had started streaming out his nose.

David laughed. Daken slowly suffered through his food, trying desperately to make conversation with David, doing all in his power to act like he wasn’t in pain.

Eventually, the waitress came back over with a plate of sushi rolls and a pair of chopsticks and placed them in front of David. “Can I get anything else for you?”

“Could I get a refill?” Daken strained, gesturing toward his empty cup.

“Sure thing!” She picked up Daken’s empty cup, giving him an amused smile as she left the table.

“You’re losing her.” David teased.

“I’ll get her back.” He looked at David’s choice of sushi. He got the fried philly roll and the fried dragon roll. “American sushi.” Daken shook his head.

"Fuck you, I like it." David said, picking up a roll between his fingers and sticking it in his mouth.

"And you're not even using chopsticks. Disgraceful." He blew his runny nose into a napkin.

“Sure, _I’m_ the disgraceful one.”

Daken snickered through his burnt lips and shoveled some more curry into his mouth.

The waitress soon came back with a full cup of iced tea. “Here you go!” she said, placing it on the table.

Daken cleared his throat. “Thank you.” he said smoothly, looking her in the eyes, letting off another dash of pheromones.

“You’re welcome.” she replied, her face flushed as she walked off.

“Now that’s just lazy.” David said, popping another sushi roll into his mouth.

“I’m just keeping her along until I can...” he sniffed violently, “finish my food and regain my composure.” He began intensely sipping at his tea.

“And then what?”

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”

After a couple more scoops, Daken finally finished his curry. He downed the rest of his tea in the process. He proudly presented the last spoonful to David with a smile on his face before sticking it in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing. David slow clapped. “Very nice.” Daken reached over and grabbed the chopsticks, unwrapped them, picked up a sushi roll, and stuck it in his mouth. “Hey!” David protested.

“Have to eat something mild to balance it out.” he said, chewing. He swallowed. “Ugh, American sushi.” He threw the chopsticks down. “We have to go back to Japan next time to cleanse the palate.”

David shook his head. “You’re such a fucking snob.”

“Nothing wrong with having taste.” Daken said, lifting up his cup and swallowing the ice.

Very quickly, aided by his healing factor, Daken’s face returned to it’s usual color, his lips and tongue stopped burning, his nose stopped running, his brow stopped sweating, and in seconds it was like he’d never eaten anything spicy at all.

David, meanwhile, finished up his sushi and began slowly picking at the ginger. He didn’t dare touch the wasabi.

“I have a question, David.” Daken said.

“Hm?” David asked as he stuck the last bit of ginger into his mouth.

"Why do you have trouble seeing me even slightly naked?"

David sighed. "Because you have sex with everybody and I _really_ don't want that in our relationship. At all."

"Oh god no.” he said immediately. “Trust me, there will be _no_ sex in our relationship. Purely platonic."

David tilted his head to the side. “For some reason I feel slightly insulted.”

Daken laughed. “First of all, you’re underage, you know my cutoff is twenty. Second, you’re clearly straight. Third, just...no.” _I respect you too much_. He thought before he could stop himself.

David smiled, reading his mind, but he didn’t say anything. Daken pretended not to feel embarrassed.

As they talked, Daken kept catching the waitress’s eye. This didn’t go unnoticed by David, but he largely ignored it. Daken will be Daken, and as long as he didn’t ruin this woman’s life or fuck her in his presence, he was fine with his little games.

Finally, the waitress came over, “How was your food?”

“Very good.” Daken said.

“Pretty hot, yes?”

He looked her directly in the eye, a sly smile on his face. “Sure is.” he purred.

Her face turned a bright red. “Here-here’s your check.” she said, handing each of them their bill along with a pen.

“Thank you.” David said.

“Mm-hm.” She nodded. Her eyes kept flitting back to Daken as she took their dishes and left.

David pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and left it on the table. “I’m giving that woman the biggest tip I’ve even given for having to put up with your bullshit.”

David pulled a credit card out of his wallet. “It’s your money.” he said, placing the card in the leather binder.

A short while passed before the waitress came back and took the money and card. “Keep the change,” David said. She smiled thankfully at him, then looked back at Daken and left. Shortly thereafter, she came back, placing the leather binder in front of Daken. He put his card back in his wallet and left the typical twenty percent tip on the receipt.

“Ready to go?” David asked.

“Ready.”

They walked toward the door. The waitress was standing there, waiting to greet the next customers. Daken let his hand brush against hers. “Thank you for your service. The food was _tantalizing_.” he said softly into her ear. Her breath hitched. He could hear her heartbeat quicken. He smiled as he walked out the door. David simply rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Was that fun for you?” David asked accusingly once they were out the door.

“Very.” Daken grinned.

“‘Course,” David muttered, “‘course.”

“So are we headed back to New York?”

“Actually...I’ve got something for you.”

“For _me_? Oh, you shouldn’t have.”

“Shut up and be grateful for once, will ya?”

“How can I be grateful if I don’t even know what it is?”

David sighed, and the world suddenly changed in front of them. “Here it is.” he said, gesturing to a building.

“It’s a church.” Daken said.

“Aye, but not just any church. This is ground zero for anti-mutant activists.”

“ _This_ place?”

The church was small, no larger than your middle-class suburban household. The white paint that covered the building was flaking, the wood was splintered and rotting. The cross that stood atop the molding roof was weathered and rusty. The street between David and Daken and the church was dirty and cracked, with weeds growing in between the fissures. Most of the buildings surrounding them seemed abandoned, with doors and walls boarded up with cheap plywood. The only functioning buildings were a small, brick bar and grill and a concrete building with a sign that had the word ‘ANTIQUES’ painted crudely in red. Otherwise, the little town seemed empty.

“Look, I know it’s nothing special, but I didn’t want to start you out with the big stuff.”

“Is this the project you promised me?”

“Yeah. I was a bit hesitant to present it to you, especially after the stunt you pulled in the smoothie place, but I figured better now than never.”

“So you want me to join you on your mutant rights crusade?”

David shrugged. “Best thing I could come up with. You get to assert your power over others for a good cause.”

“But I can’t hurt anybody.”

“Correct.”

“Or kill anybody.”

“I believe that falls under the purview of hurting.”

“Hm…” Daken hummed, pursing his lips.

“Just give it a shot, will ya?”

“What’s the plan?”

“Alright, so…”

 

One explanation later, and David and Daken were in their places. Daken was leaning up beside a rickety open window. David was standing at the back of the church, reaching deep into the minds of the congregation. The pastor was spouting the typical anti-mutant nonsense in his deep southern accent: “The muties are an abomination! A creation of the devil to mock God! They were not made in His image, we were!”

Once David felt he had sufficiently wormed his way inside the churchgoers’ minds, he signalled Daken, _Okay, now._ Daken sighed, and started releasing powerful calming pheromones, carried by the wind into church. The congregation felt an almost supernatural wave of peace and tranquility wash over them. Even the pastor paused his hate speech. David took a deep breath. “Here goes nothin’.” He teleported inside the church, floating in front of the ramshackle statue of Jesus Christ. “My children,” he said in his best American accent, “you have been lead astray.” He spoke both aloud and into the minds of the churchgoers.

The congregation gasped, but they weren’t scared. Daken’s pheromones were keeping them calm. The people in that church didn’t see a scrawny teenager with foot tall black hair. No, they saw an Adonis draped in robes, with large, white wings, blue eyes, blond hair, and a halo over his head, surrounded by holy light. David was using his telepathy to alter their perception, and it was working perfectly. “The mutants,” David continued, “are not our enemies, they’re our allies. They are one of God’s creations, just as you are. As we all are.”

 _Okay, time for phase two_. David told Daken. Daken had been watching the whole thing play out with amusement. He was not affected by David’s illusions. When he looked through that church window, he saw David floating awkwardly in the air, eyes glowing yellow, trying his best to act angelic. From his perspective, it was utterly ridiculous.

He rolled his eyes at David’s request and started unleashing fear pheromones.

“You have denied one of God’s creations!” The holy light began to burn brighter, harsher, his eyes turned red. “You are doing the work of the devil in God’s name!” The congregation started weeping, some of them went down on their knees.

The pastor knelt in front of him. “I’m sorry!” He pleaded, his hands clasped together, “I’m sorry!”

“Hell is waiting for those-” People started screaming, one of the churchgoers vomited, another clasped at his heart, his face scrunched in pain. David faltered, “Um, hell is waiting for those that preach such hate on God’s dominion! Repent!”

_Phase three!_

Daken sighed and went back to releasing calming pheromones.

“Repent, and you will feel God’s love.” The light lessened, his eyes stopped glowing. “Do you feel it now?”

“Yes!” The congregation shouted. “Yes! Yes!”

“Accept mutants, accept all your fellow humans, and God will love you as he loved humanity before the original sin. Love mutants, love all living creatures, and you are guaranteed your place in heaven.”

“Thank you!”

“We repent!”

“We love mutants. We love all!”

David smiled, “Feel God’s love, cherish it, and share it with fellow mutant and human alike. God loves you all.”

And with that, David teleported them both to a cafe in New York. They got some looks as they suddenly appeared in the establishment, but were otherwise ignored. The people of New York were used to such antics.

“What the fuck was that?” David hissed.

“What?”

“You went _way_ too far with the fear pheromones.”

Daken shrugged. “I got bored.”

David pinched the bridge of his nose. “‘Course you did.” He sighed, “Don’t you care at all about the public image of mutants? I mean, think of that stunt you pulled at the smoothie place, yeah? If I hadn’t come around and destroyed the girl’s phone, that video could’ve sent mutant rights back thirty years!” Daken opened his mouth to speak. “Yeah, yeah, I know that’s hyperbole, but still. That man back there was about to have a heart attack because of you!”

“All the better for your cause.”

“Yeah, until someone decides to look into it and finds a mutant was involved! Not to mention, killing is bad!”

“That’s just your moralism speaking.”

“Oh my god.” David groaned. “Here, let’s sit down.” The moved over to a wooden table by the window. “Seriously though, don’t you care about mutant rights at all?”

Daken smirked. “I don’t define my allegiances by my genetics. I’m half Canadian, you don’t hear me singing their national anthem. I’m half Japanese, but I won’t be joining their military. Even things that aren’t genetic apply to that philosophy. I’m bi or pan or whatever, I’m LGBT, but you won’t see me waving the rainbow flag. The only allegiance I have, David, is to myself.”

“But don’t all of those things make you who you are?”

“Not if I can help it.” Daken said.

David tapped his fingers on the table and looked out the window. “I guess I can see the value in that philosophy. Being a self defined man. But I don’t subscribe to that.” He looked back at Daken. “I’m a mutant. That’s something I accept as part of my identity. And it’s something I want to fight for.”

“And I respect that,” Daken said, “but it’s not something I identify with. My identity is what I make it.”

David sighed. “So no helping me with my mutant rights crusade?”

Daken shrugged. “I’ll do it if you ask,” he said, toying with his earrings. “But just know that I’ll-”

“Get bored, yeah.” He looked back outside. “Maybe if I get you in a more involved role you won’t be so bored, but for the time being I’m gonna say that mutant rights activism is not a sufficient enough project.”

“No, no it isn’t.” Daken agreed.

There was a moment of silence between them. “You know my birthday is in two weeks.” David said.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I’ll be-”

“Eighteen.”

David smiled. “Glad you remembered.”

“How could I forget, Mr. Almost Adult.”

“Well soon I’ll be an actual adult.”

“You can finally vote on those oh-so-important mutant rights issues.”

“Well…” David’s face fell.

“Oh right,” Daken said. “Stateless.”

David gave him a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way around it.”

Daken grinned. “I’m sure you will.”

David looked down at his phone, checking the time. “Well, I better get goin’.” Classes were almost over and he promised Ruth he’d go out with her today. “It was nice seein’ you, Daken.”

“Good seeing you, David.” he responded before David disappeared. Once he was gone, Daken took out his phone. “What to do for David’s birthday…” he mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is an actual tweet by ProZD, it was so perfect I had to include it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An asexual attempts to write romance. Wish me luck!

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear David! Happy Birthday to you!"

David blew out the candles atop his vanilla bundt cake as Ruth and Professor Xavier clapped, large smiles on their faces.

“Wooh!” Ruth shouted, in her cute, little, reserved way. She got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around David. “Happy Birthday!” she exclaimed, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

David turned his head toward her. “Thank you, Ruth.” He smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Time to cut the cake,” Xavier announced. He took a large knife and cut off a sizeable portion, put it on a plate, and handed it to David. “Is that big enough?”

“Oh, it’s perfect,” David said, taking his fork and digging in.

Xavier cut off another large piece for Ruth as she sat back down in her seat, and then a much smaller one for himself.

“This is, pardon, delicious,” Ruth said, chewing on a forkful of cake. “Where’d you get it?”

Xavier smiled. “There’s a very mutant friendly local bakery. They’re not very well known, but they’ve participated in several pro-mutant rallies handing out cupcakes. I ventured to try one of these cupcakes and was very impressed. Needless to say, they were more than happy to offer me one of their cakes when I asked for it.”

“Nice,” David said.

“When I said it was for my son, they wanted to give it to me free of charge, but I insisted on paying.”

“Hm,” David grunted. He figured this bakery would’ve offered his father a free cake regardless of the occasion. He knew his dad was just trying to make him feel special and, while his intentions were noble, it annoyed him somewhat that his father felt the need to make David feel like someone gave a shit about him besides the other two people in the room by stretching the truth like that.

Said room was a space hidden away in the mansion, empty and rarely used. Xavier and Ruth had set up some decorations: balloons, streamers, a banner that read ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ in shiny letters. They’d brought in a table and chairs for the cake. There were big number eighteens plastered on the walls. Neatly wrapped presents sat in the corner. Overall, they’d done a fantastic job of transforming the derelict room into something quite festive, and David greatly appreciated the effort. It wasn’t often that he was reminded that there were people who actually cared for him.

“So have you decided what you want to do after this?” Xavier asked.

“Um…” David said, a sheepish smile on his face. He’d been trying for months to come up with something special to do on his eighteenth birthday. Go to a big city? Visit global landmarks? Travel somewhere exotic? He’d already been to the moon, it would be difficult to go somewhere more exotic than that.

Ruth grinned. “Actually, I, sorry, have an idea.”

“Oh?” David asked.

David felt as she reached into his mind, giving him a telepathic image of a shut-in; rocks surrounded by crevices full of water leading into increasingly deeper pools. _What do you think?_ She asked.

“What is it?” Xavier asked, respectful not to enter their minds without permission.

David smiled. “I like it.” He turned towards his father. “It’s a shut-in. Afraid it’s not wheelchair accessible.”

Xavier smiled back at him. “That’s fine. As long as you’re having fun.”

 _We’ll go later in the day, that way there, no, won’t be any people around._ She projected amorously.

David glanced at her, grinning, biting his lower lip. She smiled back, biting a piece of cake off the tip of her fork.

Professor Xavier cleared his throat, sensing the romantic tension growing in the air. “You know, I’m proud of you David. You’ve gotten so much more control over your mind.”

“Well the two of youse have been a lot of help with that,” David said.

“It couldn’t have happened if you didn’t put in the effort,” Xavier replied.

“Be proud of yourself David, yes. It’s your birthday!” Ruth put a hand on his shoulder.

David smiled. Indeed, the Qortex Complex had gotten much more manageable. There were now a healthy handful of personalities under his control. None had merged with him except for Tyrranix the Abominoid, though Polimeter had gotten close. There was one instance in which she’d started merging with the metaphysical flesh on his leg, but she’d quickly retracted. Still, it was progress. 

His safe place had gotten quite comfy; it had come to resemble your typical living room, albeit with some embellishments from Xavier, David, and Ruth. It had Xavier’s artwork, of course, as well as his large, comfy chairs with the expensive fabric. David had put up some posters - a _Pulp Fiction_ one, a _Twin Peaks_ one, and a cool, stylish, minimalist Nintendo one. They were the same posters he had in his room, but hey, they were cool posters. He’d also included a large, comfy, blue-gray couch he liked to stretch out on. Ruth went a bit more eccentric, adding some abstract sculptures with lots of twists and curves made out of a variety of material from marble to concrete to carpeting. She’d also included a divan because she said she always wanted to lay on one. David had been able to summon some decent coffee, and even some basic food, but he still had trouble with tea.

“Alright, I’ll be proud of myself, but just this once. And only for you two,” he teased.

“I’ll take it!” Ruth grinned.

The three dug into their cake. David managed to down two more sizeable pieces while Ruth only had one more and Xavier just stuck with the single, skinny piece. “I remember when I used to eat like you.” he told David. “Those were interesting days…” he mused.

“I imagine,” said David.

Only a quarter of the cake was left when they were done with it. Once the three had stopped grabbing pieces for themselves, Ruth asked, “Is it time to open presents?”

“I think so,” Xavier said. “David?”

“Yeah! Absolutely!” He grinned. “I promise I didn’t cheat telepathically.”

“I’m pretty sure, sorry, we would’ve known if you, yes, cheated David,” Ruth said as she walked over to the presents.

“I dunno, I’ve gotten pretty good at psychic stealth.”

“That’s true,” Xavier said, though he knew David wouldn’t be able to get into his mind without him knowing. David was aware that his father was patronizing him, but he decided to look on the bright side of things and just appreciate that his father was trying to give him the best birthday he could, even if he did go about it a little too delicately for his liking.

Ruth grabbed a decent-sized, blocky present wrapped neatly in shiny, golden wrapping paper. “Here, open, pardon, no, this first. It’s from me,” she said, placing it proudly in front of him. She had a huge grin on her face and was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped together. 

David smiled back at her. He found her excitement exceedingly cute; he had a hard time taking his eyes off of her, but he managed eventually, ripping into the present to find yet another blocky gift wrapped in white and silver wrapping paper and, “Aw sweet, a blu-ray player!” 

“Keep going!” Ruth grinned.

David excitedly opened the rectangular gift sitting atop the blueray player to find a stack of four little DVD shaped gifts wrapped in a variety of different wrapping papers. “Christ, you put a lot of effort into this Ruth.”

“Open ‘em!” 

David opened the one on top, holding it up, examining the blu-ray of _Pulp Fiction_ . “Awesome!” He exclaimed. Ruth squealed a little at his delight. He opened the remaining three presents. _Baby Driver_ , _Twin Peaks - The Entire Mystery_ , and _Vampire’s Kiss_ , all on blu-ray.

“I went a little, yes, pardon, out there with the _Vampire’s Kiss_ one, yes, I wasn’t sure if you’d, no, like it…”

“I love it Ruth.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Ruth smiled, her cheeks went red.

“I suppose it’s time for my present now,” Xavier said. He started to turn his wheelchair around to grab the rather large and shiny blue and silver gift bag.

“I’ll get it!” Ruth announced, rushing to grab the gift.

A little smile appeared on Xavier’s face. “Thank you, Ruth.”

“Ooh, it’s heavy,” she said, picking it up. She placed the bag on the table in front of David. He grinned at her before pulling out the tissue paper and reaching his hand inside. He grabbed the first thing his fingers touched.

“It’s…” he pulled it out, “an...adult coloring book?” He flipped through the pages displaying an array of intricate mandalas.

Xavier pressed his lips together. “I...thought they might help. There’s more.”

David dug into the gift bag producing two more coloring books - one displaying animals, plants, general scenes from nature, another displaying more fantasy oriented illustrations. Along with this came a rather large set of colored pencils and a small, high-end, battery-powered pencil sharpener.

“Oh..well…thank you…” David said with as much sincerity as he could muster, flipping through one of the books.

“There’s...one more thing.” Xavier said, a bit of sheepishness seeping into his strong, even voice.

David reached his hand into the bag, finding one more gift. He pulled it out. A novel. “ _Brief Interviews with Hideous Men_.” David read the title.

“I thought you might enjoy it. I know you’re more into modern literature.”

“I’ve always wanted to read David Foster Wallace, just never got around to it.” David said, studying the book, turning it over and skimming the back, flipping briefly through the pages. He looked back at his father and smiled. “Thanks, dad.”

Xavier smiled back, a somewhat visible wave of relief washing over him.

The three enjoyed the rest of their party, talking, playing a few basic card games and board games. They even opened up the colored pencils and started coloring in some of the coloring books.

Eventually, Xavier had to retire for the evening, which was Ruth and David’s cue to leave. Xavier rolled out of the room with a warning for the two to, “Be safe.” Ruth and David smiled at him before returning their eyes to each other.

“You ready?” asked David, his hands intertwined with Ruth’s.

“Ready.” Ruth grinned.

The two were teleported to the shut-ins, near the rockier area. Large, gray rocks containing wide, deep crevices filled with water stretched north and south into the distance. To the south, the crevices diminished leaving only rock, to the north the water overtook the rocks until all that was left was a deep, wide pool. The expanse was bordered on either side by thick, green shrubbery. A windy trail stretched off behind them. There was a wooden sign advertising the hours the shut-ins were open. Six am to five pm. It was seven pm. The sun was setting in the horizon, pink graduated into a light navy blue, small, thin clouds peppered the sky.

The two quickly undressed until they were in their underwear. They didn’t have swimsuits. It was more exciting without them.

“Come on!” Ruth excitedly grabbed David’s hand and pulled him towards the rocks.

“Woah!” David stumbled, but quickly caught himself as the two descended to the shut-ins.

They climbed around on the rocks, slid down mini waterfalls and ascended back up them (with great difficulty), raced each other through different routes to get to various pools of water. They were not exceedingly reckless, however. They did not try to jump across large crevices, they didn’t climb too high or take a path with loose and jagged rocks. Sure they took some risks, scaled some rocks with dangerous consequences were they to fall, but overall, they took Professor Xavier’s advice and stayed safe.

It wasn’t long before the sun set completely, leaving the area illuminated only by the light of the moon. David and Ruth were getting tired, and with the limited visibility, it made it even more dangerous to explore the rocks, so they decided to move to the large pool of water to the north. “But first…” Ruth said as she made her way back to their starting point, by their clothing, David trailing close behind. She smiled at him and removed her soaking wet bra.

“Glad you’re on the same train of thought I am, Ruth.” David said as he removed his boxers.

“Great minds, pardon, think alike."

They removed their clothing and quickly but carefully made their way to the pool of water.

“How deep do you, yes, think it is?” Ruth asked, looking down at the clear water below.

“Only one way to find out!” David plugged his nose and jumped in, producing a little squeal from Ruth as his body hit the water. 

He sunk deep, deep into the pool, waiting for his feet to hit the bottom, but they didn’t. He sunk until he couldn’t hold his breath anymore and propelled himself back to the surface. “It’s pretty fuckin’ deep!” he yelled.

Ruth’s mouth twisted in a moment of apprehension before she stepped forward and leapt in, the splash of water hitting David in the face. David wiped his eyes clear as Ruth popped back up, minus one significant accessory.

“Your blindfold.” David pointed out.

Ruth put her hands up to her face, feeling the unusual absence of cloth tied around her head. “It must’ve, yes, sorry, fallen off when I jumped into the water. It’s okay, excuse me, I have more at home.”

David smiled in relief. One would be hard pressed to find Ruth without her blindfold on. She’d admitted to him that she felt uncomfortable without it. He was glad that she felt content without her superhero namesake hiding those empty sockets on her face. That she could be truly, fully naked in front of him and vice versa.

Ruth smiled back at him, paddling closer until she was treading water right in front of him. She lightly wrapped her arms around his body. “You’re so skinny!” she exclaimed, giggling.

“You’re not exactly the pinnacle of physical prowess either, are you Ruth.”

She stuck her chin out. “I bet I got more, sorry, muscles than you.”

“Oh, you wanna bet?”

“Yeah I wanna, pardon, bet!” 

“Arm wrestle. Right now. Let’s go.”

“In the, yes, no, water?”

“On a rock. Let’s see, over…” he swiveled his head around, looking for an appropriate place to hold their match, “there!” He pointed to a small, solid rock jutting out of the water near the edge. “C’mon.” He started swimming toward the protuberance. 

“That’s really gonna hurt our elbows, yes, you know,” Ruth said as she swam behind him.

“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make,” David said as he approached the rock.

“Alright,” Ruth put her elbow on the rock, her hand out and ready, “let’s go.”

“You’re so fucking cute, you know that?” David put his elbow on the rock as well and wrapped his hand around hers.

Ruth moved her head like she was rolling her eyes and gripped his hand tight. “Ready? One. Two. Sorry, three!”

Immediately, the two pressed their hands against each other. They grit their teeth. Their muscles shook. Their elbows slid against the wet rock, but the rough texture was keeping them more or less in place. David turned his wrist so his hand was over hers and began pushing down. Ruth let out a little growl, and in a sudden burst of strength, pushed David’s hand back. David let out a little hum of concentration as he tried to fight against Ruth’s might, but to no avail, as Ruth slowly, meticulously pushed his arm down until his hand touched the surface of the rock.

“I win!” Ruth announced, throwing her hands up in the air.

David shook his arm out. “Best out of three.”

“No way. My elbow’s all scratched up,” Ruth said, feeling her elbow.

David looked down at his elbow. Indeed, the skin was scratched and red. A small sliver of blood was leaking out of the wound.

“Must’ve been all that X-Men training that gave you an advantage,” David muttered.

“Yeah, probably,” Ruth grinned. “Have you even set, pardon, foot in the danger room?”

“Nope,” David said. “Don’t think anyone would dare train me up there.”

Ruth, sensing David was getting a bit down, swam over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a cheeky grin. “You don’t need any, no, hero training. You know why?” 

“Oh, don’t you dare say it!”

“‘Cause you’re _my_ hero!”

David shook his head and laughed, wrapping his arms around Ruth’s body, then planted a long, deep kiss on her lips, which Ruth happily reciprocated. He moved his head away from her lips, but not far from her face. “I told you not to say it,” he said softly.

“Or what?” Ruth teased.

David suddenly pushed away from Ruth and quickly skimmed his hand against the top of the pool, sending a wave of water in her face. Ruth opened her mouth in surprise, but this look of shock quickly turned to amusement as she fired back with a violent splash of her own. David wiped his eyes and attempted to return the attack by turning his feet toward Ruth and kicking wildly, but Ruth quickly dipped under water to avoid his playful assault.

They went back and forth like this for a while, Ruth having the obvious advantage, as she had no eyes for the water to blind, but she didn’t mention that to David, she didn’t want to ruin the fun.

After some time, David ducked under the water to avoid a splash for Ruth and didn’t resurface for a good ten seconds, twenty, thirty. “David?” Ruth asked, starting to get worried. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders, a familiar face as it nuzzled the back of her head, gasping for air but trying not to show it.

“Got you,” David breathed into her ear.

Ruth grinned and turned to face David, still within his grasp, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Or do I have you?” She suddenly placed her hands on David’s shoulders and pushed down, dunking him underwater.

She quickly let go of him and he reemerged, wiping the water from his eyes. After the initial shock, he started laughing. “Goddamnit Ruth.”

“What?”

He looked at her face - pale, wet skin, thin lips, sunken indentations where one’s eyes would be shining bright in the light of the moon - and he swore he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life. “I love you so fucking much.”

“And you’re still so fucking, pardon, cheesy.” She embraced him, their foreheads touching. “But I still, yes, love you too.”

He embraced her and they locked lips for as long as they could tread water (which, by sheer willpower, was quite a while) before finally releasing. They looked at each other, foreheads touching once again, taking some time to catch their breath and enjoy the moment before David said, “My legs are tired.”

“Mine too.”

“Wanna swim back over by the rocks?”

“Yeah.”

They stayed for a moment, not wanting to release each other, but their aching muscles got the better of them and they slowly paddled their way back over to the rocks, placing an arm on a low, flat ledge.

“This is awesome,” said David, leaning back on the rock, taking in their surroundings.

“Is it?” Ruth asked, overjoyed that David was enjoying her choice of getaway.

“It is.” The moonlight rippled on the dark, still, clear water. Large gray rocks surrounded them on almost all sides. Out in the distance, he could see a shore of small, pebbly rocks that would most definitely hurt to stand on, followed by a sea of algae and brush and general wildlife that looked difficult to traverse. The night was dead quiet save for the rustling of branches in the wind and the occasional chirping cicada or croaking frog. “This is the best birthday present anyone’s ever given me.”

“Better than the, sorry, blu-ray?”

David chuckled. “Yeah, sorry to say it Ruth, but you outdid yourself.”

“Dammit,” Ruth swore jokingly.

There was a moment of silence, then David asked, “What do you think of the presents my dad gave me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, adult coloring books? Isn’t that a bit...demeaning?”

“We had fun with those.”

“I guess. It’s just...it seems something a therapist would give their patient, you know?”

Ruth scrunched up the corner of her mouth. She knew what David was getting at, or at least how he felt. “He’s just trying his best, yes. He’s giving you something he thinks would, pardon, help you, benefit you. He thinks it’s something you’d, yes, no, enjoy. He’s doing his best to help you.”

“That’s what you always say, Ruth. That my dad is just trying his best. And I dunno, maybe he is, but I still can’t help but feel that he views me more as a patient than a son. That’s how he first met me, you know, as a twisted little telepath absorbing people’s minds that needed to be dealt with. And I don’t think he ever lost that view of me. As a job, a liability to be controlled. Not someone to care for, not someone to...to bloody _love_.”

The two were quiet for a few moments, listening to the whistling of the wind. Then Ruth spoke up, “He did give you that, pardon, book.”

“Hm?”

“That book. _The_ _Brief Interviews with Disgusting Men_.”

“ _Hideous_.”

“What?”

“ _Hideous Men_ . _Brief Interviews with Hideous Men_.”

“Oh. Well, you get my, yes, point.”

“What’s your point?”

“My _point_ , David, is that he cares about your, sorry, personal interests. He gave you a book I don’t think he’d, yes, pardon, ever read in his life. He said it was modern lit, right? Fiction? I can’t, sorry, ever imagine him reading, yes, yes, no, anything past the nineteenth century that’s not about genetics or something like that. He went out of his way to give you, pardon, something you’d genuinely enjoy, something he’d have to, yes, know that you’d specifically like.”

“Why do you always defend my dad? Is it some kinda X-Men thing? I’m sorry.” He added immediately. He realized his words came with a bit more venom than he intended them to. “It’s just...you always seem to take his side with these sort of things.”

Ruth gave David a sad smile. “It’s because you’re not seeing the whole picture, pardon, David.” She scratched the back of her head. “Maybe I do have a _bit_ , yes, of an allegiance to him. He did start the school and he’s, yes, helped me a lot, no, no, with my telepathy and, sorry, no, he’s kind of the figurehead for, sorry, pardon, mutant rights.” She spoke quickly. “ _But_ , besides all that, he’s a father, yes, trying his best. Not trying his best to be a, no, therapist, but a, yes, _father_. And a father loves their children. It’s obvious, no, that he loves you. You’re just...having trouble seeing it.”

David’s mouth slowly spread into a smile, a smile which soon turned to chortles which morphed into full out laughter. Ruth furrowed her brow. “So what you’re saying is that I’m being a typical angsty teenager.” David said.

Ruth smiled. “Well I wouldn’t, pardon, put it like _that_.”

“I am though, I really fucking am.” He shook his head. “Could be worse. Could be Daken.”

“Oh goodness.” Ruth laughed.

“Now _that’s_ one fucked up father-son relationship.”

“No need for teenage angst to, pardon, mess that one up.”

“Oh could you _imagine_ Daken in his teenage years.”

“Didn’t you, yes, scope out his entire mind? All his history and all that?”

“Aye, but that’s one of the things he’s managed to hide from me.”

“Ah.”

“Though he bloody well acts like one sometimes.”

Ruth laughed. David had detailed to her almost all of his adventures with Logan’s son. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

David sighed and looked up at the stars. “You know, sometimes I think my life is just so shite.”

“Mm?”

“I’ve got hundreds of thousands of monsters in my brain all vying for control, I’m ostracized by my own community, I got this stupid fucking hair.” He swiped at the locks of hair that stood a foot upwards into the air, it popped right back into place. “I mean, everytime I cut it, it just grows back immediately, I fucking hate it.”

Ruth gave a little laugh.

“But then I look at this and I look at you,” he turned his head toward Ruth, smiling. “I just, I can’t believe how lucky I am. Some people, they got nothing, nobody, they’re living on the streets barely able to find their next meal. But I got a kickass room - even if it is a bit of a prison - and I got a kickass girlfriend,” he looked back at the stars, “...and a dad who...I suppose...loves me.” He laughed a little. “I know it’s cliche, but sometimes the perspective just hits you, you know?”

Ruth smiled wide and planted a kiss on David’s cheek. “I’m lucky to have you too.”

They were quiet for a few moments, enjoying the sentiment and the atmosphere.

“When do you think we should head home?” David asked, breaking the silence.

Ruth shrugged. “I dunno.”

“I don’t want anyone stumbling across two naked teenagers in their state park.”

“Do you think someone will come by?”

“Well, it’s gettin’ to be mornin’. The sky’s gettin’ lighter.”

“Oh.” Ruth said, disheartened.

“I mean, we could stay until someone comes along, but we’d have to be vigilant for traces of consciousness with our telepathy and then we wouldn’t really be in the present, you know?”

“Yeah. And then there’s the trouble of our, sorry, clothes...” Ruth muttered.

“True,” David said. “How about we enjoy ourselves for a bit longer, then we grab out clothes and head back to my room.”

Ruth smiled. “Sure.”

“And to be honest, I’m gettin’ a wee bit tired anyways.”

She laughed a little. “Me too.”

David turned around and pushed off the side of the rock, floating on his back in the water. “Can you float on your back, Ruth?” he asked, the sound of his voice filling his head.

“Sure can!” She pushed off the rock and quickly joined him. “I can do it, yes, pretty much forever.”

“Really? I start to sink if I don’t kick my legs every now and then.”

“Well then I guess, yes, no, you won’t risk falling asleep in the water.”

David laughed. “Suppose so.”

They floated around for a little bit, David kicking his legs intermittently to keep himself buoyant. They relaxed, and David watched as the sky lightened and lightened and eventually, he saw the sun peeking over the rocks. He straightened himself in the water. “Ruth.”

She didn’t respond.

“Ruth?”

She laid absolutely still atop the water.

David swam over to Ruth and put his hand on her shoulder. “Ruth!”

She let out a little yelp, flailing in the water for a second before righting herself. “You, sorry, startled me.” She said, holding onto David.

“Did you fall asleep?”

“Yeah.” She rubbed the sunken crevice on her face.

David laughed. “It’s kinda hard to tell when you don’t have eyes.”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten that.”

“Think we should get goin’. The sun’s coming up.”

“Alright.” She looked toward the field of rocks that lay between them and their clothes. “Do we have to, pardon, climb all the way back?”

David shared her sentiment. He was tired. His muscles ached and his eyes felt heavy. “No, we can just-” they suddenly appeared by their clothes, “-teleport.”

“I, yes, fucking love you,” Ruth said as she started putting on her now dry undergarments.

David smiled. “I’m glad I can be of service,” he said as he started to get dressed.

"You better have big plans for my, yes, eighteenth," she said.

"Oh you know it."

Suddenly, they heard a voice coming from down the trail. “Hey, who’s there!?” A woman’s voice shouted.

“Shit.” David said, the two only partially dressed. “Quick, grab all your clothes.” They scooped up all their garments and just as the woman was about to round the bend in the trail, they teleported back to David’s room.

“That was, yes, no, close.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” David grinned. The two finished getting dressed and plopped down on his bed. “Now what?” David asked.

“Honestly, I just want to, sorry, get to sleep.”

David snickered. “Same.” He laid back down on his bed. “Do you wanna just sleep here?”

“Sure.” Ruth smiled. “Looks like you put on your clothes for nothing.”

“Guess so.” It was well known to Ruth that David slept in the nude. David stretched his arm out to his nightstand and grabbed the phone that’d been sitting there for the duration of his birthday celebration, charging. He unlocked it. “Shit,” he said, sitting up.

“What is it?” Ruth asked.

“Daken.” He ran off to the bathroom and tapped on the voicemail from Fuckboi, holding the phone up to his ear.

“Hello, David and Happy Birthday.” Daken’s recorded voice greeted him. “It seems you’re busy today so I’ll keep this brief. Call me back when you get the chance. I have a gift for you.”

David sighed and tapped on the icon to call him back. The phone rang twice before Daken picked up. “David, Happy belated Birthday, you’re up early.”

“Up late. I was just about to go to bed.”

“Same, actually. You’re not usually up this late, are you? What have you been doing?”

“Celebrating my birthday. You're not the only person I know, you know."

"Could've fooled me."

David chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I tried calling out to you psychically, but it seems you weren't paying attention to me. Could've gotten into a lot of shenanigans."

David's heart sank. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I wouldn’t cause trouble on your birthday, David."

David quickly scanned through his mind, breathing out a sigh of relief when he found he was telling the truth. “You almost gave me a fucking heart attack, you know that?”

Daken laughed. “Well, I had plans for you today, but since you were so busy with all these other people you know, we’ll move them to tomorrow.”

“And just what might these plans be?”

“It’s a surprise. Meet me at that quaint little cafe on sixteenth street at five tomorrow - or today, I suppose.”

David smiled. Part of him was genuinely surprised that Daken actually had plans for his birthday. He had to admit, it made him quite happy. Just a couple months ago they hated each other. Now they were acting like close friends. Well, frenemies, but still. “Alright, it’s a plan.”

“See you then, and happy eighteenth.” There was a little beep as Daken hung up the phone. David smirked, amused, and walked back to his bed.

“What is it?” Ruth asked.

“Apparently Daken has plans for my birthday.” David said as he started to undress.

“What are they?”

“Dunno.”

“Couldn’t you, pardon, just read his mind and find out?”

“He must be hiding it from me. ‘Sides, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Fair enough.” Ruth yawned and stretched out her arms. “Well, I think I’m about to, yes, pass out, so I’m going to sleep.” She laid down in his bed and covered herself in his blankets. “Goodnight, David.”

David, clothes removed, turned off the lights and joined her in his bed. “Night, Ruth.”

“I love you.” Ruth said.

“I love you too.”


End file.
